Collecting seeds, taking specimens and making meticulous drawings and observations of previously unknown flora and fauna, Bartram's four-year expedition took him from the Appalachians, through Florida and on to the Mississippi. This account of his journey, first published in 1791, remains a classic of American science, history and literature.

One of the most important works of American natural history, Bartram's 1791 book influenced generations of American writers and scientists.