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Edward Lee's avatar

Fascinating story! I have always wondered what happened, having heard only that he died on active duty. The aura of youth and determination radiate from the daguerreotype...I can only imagine the sense of adventure tempered by fear of the unknown he must have felt. Was this the same expedition that ultimately led to the founding of the Smithsonian?

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Elisha Lee's avatar

That was actually founded in 1846 but expeditions of the sort were quite popular as other parts of the world were being opened to American trade and most of the collections brought back were preserved by either the Smithsonian or Harvard College. Habersham's book can be found online and is an interesting chronicle of the whole voyage, although he writes with all the cultural biases of his time.

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Celina Barton's avatar

What a story! It resounds with timeless lessons on the most cherished of virtues and is a powerful reminder of the strength within each of us and that every contribution counts! It reminds me of a quote from Kennedy: “To be courageous... requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula.... It is an opportunity that sooner or later is presented to us all.”

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