Botanical Monroe Doctrine and American Empire: The Scientific Survey of Puerto Rico

In Botanical Monroe Doctrine and American Empire, Darryl E. Brock interrogates the history, trajectory, and influence of an ambitious initiative to conduct a "physical and natural history survey of Porto [Puerto] Rico." Founder of the New York Botanical Garden Nathaniel Lord Britton's 1912 formulation of a type of botanical Monroe Doctrine was meant to check the global power of British and European botanical interests, especially in the Americas. It was also to serve as a "civilizing" then modernizing role in the development of the island's technocratic apparatus, natural resource plans, and national cultural identity.

The Scientific Survey of Puerto Rico's operations were conducted by the New York Botanical Garden and American Museum of Natural History. By the 1960 publication, participants had expanded the research to include the Virgin Islands, mounted nearly two dozen field expeditions, collected ten thousand plant specimens, and presented thirty-eight new species. The nineteen volumes boast some of the most complete multidisciplinary scientific descriptions of any tropical area.

Brock's groundbreaking contributiion is a must-read for those interested in natural history and science, Puerto Rico, and US imperialism.