The search for longitude: Preliminary insights from a 17th Century Dutch perspective

TL;DR

This paper explores 17th-century Dutch scientific correspondence, especially regarding longitude determination at sea, revealing historical insights and the personalities involved through digital access to 20,000 letters.

Contribution

It provides new insights into early longitude research and the social context of 17th-century Dutch scientists using a large digital archive.

Findings

Unprecedented access to 20,000 letters from the Dutch Golden Age.

Detailed insights into 17th-century longitude research efforts.

Revelation of personalities involved in scientific debates.

Abstract

In the 17th Century, the Dutch Republic played an important role in the scientific revolution. Much of the correspondence among contemporary scientists and their associates is now digitally available through the ePistolarium webtool, allowing current scientists and historians unfettered access to transcriptions of some 20,000 letters from the Dutch Golden Age. This wealth of information offers unprecedented insights in the involvement of 17th Century thinkers in the scientific issues of the day, including descriptions of their efforts in developing methods to accurately determine longitude at sea. Unsurprisingly, the body of correspondence referring to this latter aspect is largely dominated by letters involving Christiaan Huygens. However, in addition to the scientific achievements reported on, we also get an unparalleled and fascinating view of the personalities involved.