The Harvard Classics, vol. 23: Two Years Before the Mast

by Charles William Eliot; Richard Henry Dana

Publisher:

P. F. Collier & Son

, 1909

Overview

In 1834, American lawyer and politician Richard Henry Dana took a sea voyage and decided to go as a sailor, not as a passenger. The ship departed from his home town of Boston and traveled to Alto, California—then still a part of Mexico. Dana records his experiences during those two years into a classic memoir, presented here. His writing offers a colorful, personal account of the routine on board the old sailing ships, describes the trading on the coast, and offers a portrait of California, before the discovery of gold had transformed its civilization. Later in life, Dana took another voyage—this time around the world. His observations from that trip form the postscript of this book.

The Harvard Classics

Journey through “Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf.” This massive collection, designed to provide the elements of a liberal education, was compiled by distinguished Harvard University president Charles Eliot in the early 1900s. Packed with the essential works of the Western classical tradition, the Harvard Classics collection remains one of the most comprehensive and well-researched anthologies of all time—a must-have library for students and lovers of the classics.

Contents

• Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, Jr.

Product Details

• Title: The Harvard Classics, vol. 23: Two Years Before the Mast
• Author: Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
• Editor: Charles William Eliot
• Series: The Harvard Classics
• Publisher: P. F. Collier & Son
• Pages: 427

About Charles William Eliot

Charles William Eliot (1834–1926) served as president of Harvard University for 40 years, helping to shape the struggling provincial college into a premier American research university. Eliot graduated from Harvard in 1853, and was appointed tutor in mathematics in 1854, before becoming assistant professor of mathematics and chemistry. Eliot left Harvard in 1863 and traveled in Europe for nearly two years, studying the educational systems of the Old World. He took an interest in every aspect of institutional operation, from curriculum and methods of instruction, to physical arrangements and custodial services. But his particular concern was with the relation between education and economic growth.

Returning home in 1865, Eliot accepted an appointment as professor of analytical chemistry at the newly-founded Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1869, he published a two-part article with his ideas about reforming American higher education in The Atlantic Monthly, catching the attention of Harvard businessmen trying to pull the university out of a crisis of short-term presidents and languishing curriculum. Eliot was quickly elected as the youngest president in Harvard’s history. Under his leadership, Harvard began to expand the range of courses offered, permitting undergraduates with unrestricted choice in selecting their courses of study. This enabled them to discover their “natural bents” and pursue them into specialized studies. The university soon became a center for advanced scientific and technological research. During his presidency, the university extended its facilities with laboratories, libraries, classrooms, and athletic facilities. Eliot was able to attract the support of major donors from among the nation’s growing plutocracy, making it the wealthiest private university in the world.