author
Samuel Stearns
1741–1809
A colonial-era physician, astronomer, and prolific compiler of practical knowledge, he helped bring almanacs, medical writing, and scientific information to early American readers. His work ranges from annual calendars to one of the first herbal texts printed in the United States.
1 Audiobook
Dr. Stearns's Tour from London to Paris
by Samuel Stearns
About the author
Born in Bolton, Massachusetts, in 1741, Samuel Stearns built a varied career as a physician, astronomer, writer, and publisher. He lived for a time in Paxton, where he issued The North-American’s almanack, and later moved to Brattleboro, Vermont, continuing his almanac work there.
Stearns wrote for readers who wanted useful information as much as entertainment. Alongside his almanacs, he produced books on science, medicine, and everyday knowledge, including The American Oracle and The American Herbal, or Materia Medica, a work often noted as the first herbal printed in the United States.
His career shows how closely science, medicine, and publishing were connected in early America. Remembered today for both his practical books and his role in popularizing astronomical and medical knowledge, Stearns left behind a body of work that captures the curiosity and resourcefulness of the late eighteenth century.