Cassin, John

Biographical History

John Cassin (1813-1868) was born in 1813 near Philadelphia. He worked at various jobs in order to support his family, first working as an importer. With connections to the Democratic Party, Cassin was appointed to a customs post. He also ran a printing company that was supported by government contracts, even through the Civil War. Cassin was one of the first serious bird taxonomists. He was made honorary curator of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in 1842. Although he also studied insects, he mainly concentrated on birds. He published on the birds of the West and Mexico, and wrote dozens of scientific articles and detailed descriptions of birds that were discovered in North America, Africa, and the South China Sea. He eventually described 200 new bird species from around the world. He joined the Union Army during the Civil War, and was captured by the Confederates. Cassin died at the age of 55.

Related entities

Academy of natural sciences of Philadelphia: He was made honorary curator of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in 1842.

Birth Date

1813

Death Date

1868

Topic

• Animals
• Birds

Form/Genre

Personal name

Occupation

Ornithologists