The 17th-century Roots of the Metric System

12/11/23 • 31 min

4 Listeners

Two men, working separately but simultaneously, are each cited as the originator of the idea of the metric system depending on what source you read. But it took more than 100 years to implement the ideas they suggested.

Research:

Alder, Ken. “The Measure of All Things.” Simon & Schuster. 2003.
Benham, Elizabeth. “Busting Myths About the Metric System.” National Institute of Standards and Technology. Oct. 6, 2020. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system
“Brief History and Use of the English and Metric Systems of Measurement.” The Science Teacher, vol. 36, no. 5, 1969, pp. 39–40. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24151702
Evelyn, John. “The Diary of John Evelyn, Vol. 1.” M. Walter Dunne. 1901. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41218/41218-h/41218-h.htm#Footnote_49_49
Gilbert, Burnet. “Lives, Characters, and An Address to Posterity.” London. J. Duncan. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/livescharactersa00burnrich/page/n5/mode/2up
JOHNSON, ART, et al. “MATH ROOTS: The Beginnings of the Metric System.” Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, vol. 12, no. 5, 2006, pp. 228–31. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41182394
“Biographie Universelle Classique. Biographie Universelle, Ou Dictionnaire Historique, Etc.” Volume 4. 1833. Accessed online: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biographie_Universelle_Classique_Biograp/lqqTLwFIyCsC?hl=en&gbpv=0
Maestro, Marcello. “Going Metric: How It All Started.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 41, no. 3, 1980, pp. 479–86. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2709407
“Origin of the Metric System.” U.S. Metric Association. https://usma.org/origin-of-the-metric-system
Pepys, Samuel “Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete.” George Bell and Sons. London. 1893. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4200/4200-h/4200-h.htm
Riebeek, Holli. “Planetary Motion: The History of an Idea That Launched the Scientific Revolution.” Earth Observatory NASA. July 7, 2009. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsHistory
Russell, Cristine. “Congress Inches Away from Metric Conversion.” BioScience, vol. 24, no. 8, 1974, pp. 441–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1296850
Speziali, Pierre. “Mouton, Gabriel.” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, edited by Charles Coulston Gillespie. Vol. 9, pp. 554–555. New York. 1974.
Stephen, Leslie. “Dictionary of National ” MacMillan. New York. 1885-1900. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati61stepuoft/page/n11/mode/2up
Wallis, John, Dr. “The Origin of the Royal Society, 1645-1662.” Fordham University Modern History Sourcebook. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1662royalsociety.asp
“Latitude Dependent Changes in Gravitational Acceleration.” UNLV Department of Geosicence. https://pburnley.faculty.unlv.edu/GEOL452_652/gravity/notes/GravityNotes18LatitudeVariations.htm
Wetfall, Richard S. “Mouton, Gabriel.” The Galileo Project. Rice University. http://galileo.rice.edu/Catalog/NewFiles/mouton.html
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "pendulum". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/technology/pendulum
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Imperial units". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Imperial-unit
Britannica, The Editors of E "metric system". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/metric-system-measurement
“Metrication in other countries.” U.S. Metric Associatio https://usma.org/metrication-in-other-countries#chart
Ramani, Madhvi. “How France created the metric system.” BBC. Feb. 24, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180923-how-france-created-the-metric-system
Zupko, Ronald and Chisholm, Lawrence James. "measurement system."Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/measurement-system

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Research:

Alder, Ken. “The Measure of All Things.” Simon & Schuster. 2003.
Benham, Elizabeth. “Busting Myths About the Metric System.” National Institute of Standards and Technology. Oct. 6, 2020. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system
“Brief History and Use of the English and Metric Systems of Measurement.” The Science Teacher, vol. 36, no. 5, 1969, pp. 39–40. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24151702
Evelyn, John. “The Diary of John Evelyn, Vol. 1.” M. Walter Dunne. 1901. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/41218/41218-h/41218-h.htm#Footnote_49_49
Gilbert, Burnet. “Lives, Characters, and An Address to Posterity.” London. J. Duncan. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/livescharactersa00burnrich/page/n5/mode/2up
JOHNSON, ART, et al. “MATH ROOTS: The Beginnings of the Metric System.” Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, vol. 12, no. 5, 2006, pp. 228–31. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41182394
“Biographie Universelle Classique. Biographie Universelle, Ou Dictionnaire Historique, Etc.” Volume 4. 1833. Accessed online: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biographie_Universelle_Classique_Biograp/lqqTLwFIyCsC?hl=en&gbpv=0
Maestro, Marcello. “Going Metric: How It All Started.” Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 41, no. 3, 1980, pp. 479–86. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2709407
“Origin of the Metric System.” U.S. Metric Association. https://usma.org/origin-of-the-metric-system
Pepys, Samuel “Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete.” George Bell and Sons. London. 1893. Accessed online: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4200/4200-h/4200-h.htm
Riebeek, Holli. “Planetary Motion: The History of an Idea That Launched the Scientific Revolution.” Earth Observatory NASA. July 7, 2009. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsHistory
Russell, Cristine. “Congress Inches Away from Metric Conversion.” BioScience, vol. 24, no. 8, 1974, pp. 441–43. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1296850
Speziali, Pierre. “Mouton, Gabriel.” Dictionary of Scientific Biography, edited by Charles Coulston Gillespie. Vol. 9, pp. 554–555. New York. 1974.
Stephen, Leslie. “Dictionary of National ” MacMillan. New York. 1885-1900. Accessed online: https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati61stepuoft/page/n11/mode/2up
Wallis, John, Dr. “The Origin of the Royal Society, 1645-1662.” Fordham University Modern History Sourcebook. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1662royalsociety.asp
“Latitude Dependent Changes in Gravitational Acceleration.” UNLV Department of Geosicence. https://pburnley.faculty.unlv.edu/GEOL452_652/gravity/notes/GravityNotes18LatitudeVariations.htm
Wetfall, Richard S. “Mouton, Gabriel.” The Galileo Project. Rice University. http://galileo.rice.edu/Catalog/NewFiles/mouton.html
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "pendulum". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/technology/pendulum
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Imperial units". Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Imperial-unit
Britannica, The Editors of E "metric system". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/metric-system-measurement
“Metrication in other countries.” U.S. Metric Associatio https://usma.org/metrication-in-other-countries#chart
Ramani, Madhvi. “How France created the metric system.” BBC. Feb. 24, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180923-how-france-created-the-metric-system
Zupko, Ronald and Chisholm, Lawrence James. "measurement system."Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/science/measurement-system

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Sarah Bradlee Fulton and the Daughters of Liberty

1 Recommendations

Sarah Bradlee Fulton is sometimes called the Mother of the Boston Tea Party. But available information about her is basically a series of anecdotes, and can’t really be corroborated.

Research:

"The Boston Tea Party, 1773," EyeWitness to History, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com (2002).
“Boston Gazette Account.” http://www.boston-tea-party.org/account-boston-gazette.html
Albus, Brenda Ely. “’A Woman Fearing Nothing’: The Story of Sarah Bradlee Fulton: A Revolutionary War Heroine.” Lulu.com. 2014.
American Battlefield Trust. “Sarah Bradlee Fulton.” https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/sarah-bradlee-fulton
Bell, J.L. “Inspecting the Tea Party House.”11/21/2019. https://boston1775.blogspot.com/2019/11/inspecting-tea-party-house.html
Bell, J.L. “The Legends of Sarah Bradlee Fulton.” Boston 1775. 11/20/2019. https://boston1775.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-legends-of-sarah-bradlee-fulton.html
Boston Globe. “Helen T. Wild.” Obituary. 7/27/1948. https://www.newspapers.com/image/433376820/?terms=%22Helen%20T.%20Wild%22&match=1
Boston Globe. “Painted Him For the Tea Party.” 12/17/1896. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430805744/
Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. “Sarah Bradlee Fulton.” https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/sarah-bradlee-fulton
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. “The Daughters of Liberty: Who Were They and What Did They Do?” History of Massachusetts Blog. https://historyofmassachusetts.org/who-were-the-daughters-of-liberty/
Dorchester Athenaeum. “Sarah Bradlee Fulton.” https://www.dorchesteratheneum.org/project/sarah-bradlee-fulton/
Grinde, Donald A. “Exemplar of liberty : native America and the evolution of democracy.” American Indian Studies Center, University of California, Los Angeles. 1991.
Gruber, Kate Egner. “The Daughters of Liberty.” American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/daughters-liberty
Hewes, George R. T. “A Retrospect of the Boston Tea-party, with a Memoir of George R.T. Hewes” (New York: 1834), 37-41. https://www.americanyawp.com/reader/the-american-revolution/george-r-t-hewes-a-retrospect-of-the-boston-tea-party-1834/
New England Historical Society. “How the Daughters of Liberty Fought for Independence.” 2022. https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/daughters-liberty-fought-independence/
Norton, Mary Beth. “Liberty's daughters : the Revolutionary experience of American women, 1750-1800.” Harper Collins. 1990.
Reed, Esther. “Sentiments of An American Woman, 1780.” https://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~ppennock/doc-Sentiments%20of%20An%20American%20Woman.htm
The Freedom Trail. “Old South meeting House.” https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/trail-sites/old-south-meeting-house
Tryon, Rolla Milton. “Household Manufactures in the United States, 1640-1860.” University of Chicago. January 1917. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=xwNOAAAAMAAJ&rdid=book-xwNOAAAAMAAJ&rdot=1
Wild, Helen T. “Sarah Bradlee Fulton. Dorchester, 1740. Medford, 1835.” American Monthly, Washington, D. C. Via Medford Historical Society: Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 1. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2005.05.0001%3Achapter%3D18%3Asection%3Dc.18.19%3Apage%3D53#note1

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Stuff You Missed in History Class - The 17th-century Roots of the Metric System

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:01.359

Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. This is one of those episodes born of personal curiosity in that way that things will happen in your world and eventually your brain will go, huh, yeah, I did that. Why is that a thing? And one of those things we don't really answer in this episode, but we'll talk about it in the behind the scenes b