Introduction: Reconsidering Matthew Fontaine Maury

Matthew Fontaine Maury occupies a prominent, if fraught, place in maritime history and the history of science. Naval historians have recognized him as an important reformer and scientist who, at the height of his influence, resigned his commission to join the Confederacy. Historians of science have mostly been critical of Maury’s theories about the workings of ocean winds and currents, pointing to his status as a self-trained amateur scientist who exercised considerable and, in their view, misplaced clout over government-sponsored science. Current historiography offers an opportunity to revisit Maury’s undertakings and legacies, as the Forum introduction argues. The contributions each focus on a particular aspect of Maury’s work and legacy – the Reformer, the Scientist and the Pathfinder. Together the forum demonstrates new directions for current and future Maury scholarship both in fields that have traditionally studied Maury as well as in transnational history, history of the book and environmental history.