Nathaniel Bowditch, Early American Amateur Astronomer

Volume 13 number 2 (1984)

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Thomas R. Williams

Abstract

Nathaniel Bowditch had very successful careers as a seaman/ship's master and as an actuary/insurance executive. In addition he managed to make very substantial contributions to mathematics and astronomy. Bowditch is therefore important as one of the earliest significant amateur astronomers in the United States.