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science and colonial expansion: the role of the British Royal Botanic Gardens
Author(s) -
BROCKWAY LUCILE H.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1979.6.3.02a00030
Subject(s) - colonialism , politics , value (mathematics) , geography , institution , agroforestry , social science , sociology , political science , archaeology , biology , law , mathematics , statistics
The political implications of scientific research are explored through an analysis of the botanic garden as an institution generating information about plants of economic value. Botanic gardens have contributed significantly to the colonial expansion of the West through active participation in the transfer of protected plants and their scientific development as plantation crops for the tropical colonies of the mother country. Cinchona, rubber, and sisal are prime examples.