Alexander Wilson: The Scot Who Founded American Ornithology
If you are a birder, you've heard of Wilson's Plover, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Warbler... In 1794, a young poet, labor activist, and weaver arrived in Philadelphia, a refugee from his native Scotland. His first letter home exclaims over the bright colors and abundance of the birds he found in the fields and forests of America. He taught school, wrote poetry, and engaged in the political discussion of the young democracy.