Projections of the revolutionary nation: French expeditions in the Pacific, 1791-1803.

Revolutionary France's two Pacific expeditions, under the command of Jean-Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux (1792-94) and Nicolas Baudin (1801-1804), demonstrate the importance of scientific inquiry to the newly sovereign nation. France's scientific community adapted to the changed circumstances of revolutionary upheaval by describing its work in terms of national priorities. Individuals on board the expeditions, both naval and scientific personnel, behaved as scientific citizens, intent on composing an encyclopedic body of knowledge about the Pacific. Disputes over whose science mattered more and how credit should be assigned through publication, however, broke down the consensus that science should be a national project.