Description: [view in Spanish]The first international scientific expedition sponsored by the United States circumnavigated the globe between 1838 and 1842, gathering natural history collections so vast they were estimated to weigh 40 tons. The U.S. Congress resolved to preserve these artifacts "collected at the expense of the government...Information about the first international
Description: Joseph Henry,the first Smithsonian Secretary, served from 1846 to 1878 and was a physicist who conducted pioneering research in electromagnetism.