The incredible story of an explorer caught up in international intrigue at the dawn of US history André Michaux was the most accomplished scientific explorer of North America before Lewis and Clark. His work took him from the Bahamas to Hudson Bay, and it is likely that no contemporary of his had seen as much of the continent. But there is more to his story. During his decade-long American sojourn, Michaux found himself thrust into the middle of a vast international conspiracy. In 1793, the revolutionary French government conscripted him into its service as a secret agent and tasked him with organizing American frontiersmen to attack Spanish-controlled New Orleans, seize control of Louisiana, and establish an independent republic in the American West. New evidence also strongly implicates Thomas Jefferson in this plot. Drawing on sources buried in the vault of the American Philosophical Society, Patrick Spero offers a bona fide page-turner that sheds new light on an incipient American political climate that fostered reckless diplomatic ventures under the guise of scientific exploration, revealing the air of uncertainty and opportunity that pervaded the early republic. ***WINNER, James Bradford Best Biography Prize, Society for Historians of the Early Republic*** "A fascinating series of events involving some oddly talented characters. Engaging ...[and an] astute narrative," Wall Street Journal "An impressive achievement. Patrick Spero has found a remarkable story, followed its myriad threads, and written an engaging and lucid account of an explosive plot," Sean Harvey, Journal of the Early Republic "With this well-written book, readers can re-evaluate Thomas Jefferson, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and Andre Michaux (1746-1802), a loyal French botanist and committed explorer. lively and informed ," Charlotte Porter, Journal of the History of Biology "Spero's engaging narrative will spark new interest among American and European historians in this unjustly forgotten explorer.," Philip ZIeche, H-France Reviews "Thoroughly engaging, The Scientist Turned Spy may well spark renewed interest in Michaux's career, and in any event, it is an important contribution to the history of science in America," Jeff Broadwater, Journal of the American Revolution "A gripping and energetic early American frontier story, told with verve and style and featuring abundant well and lesser-known historical actors", Laura M. Chmielewski, American Historical Review "Well and clearly written for all types of audiences, Spero restores the undeservedly obscure Michaux to his proper place in history, immersing the reader in the eighteenth-century world of knowledge and transatlantic circulation of people, trees, plants, seeds, and ideas." - Bertrand Van Ruymbeke, University of Paris 8, author of Histoire des États-Unis. De 1492 à nos jours "In a true story that reads like a suspense thriller, Patrick Spero tells for the first time how renowned French botanist André Michaux's 1793 scientific expedition, aided by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, was secretly part of startling international political intrigues, including a conspiracy to create new independent republic west of the Mississippi. A riveting narrative, reminding us that in America, dangers of conduct bordering on treason by high officials have been present from the very start." - Rogers M. Smith, University of Pennsylvania, author of That Is Not Who We Are! Populism and Peoplehood "Patrick Spero deftly narrates this surprising tale of a French botanist who became involved in political intrigue on the western frontier during the early days of the new republic. Two presidents-George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, especially the latter-are among the many notables who populate its pages. Like Spero, readers will come to appreciate not only the many botanical discoveries of André Michaux but also the labor of the enslaved workers and indigenous guides on whom he relied but rarely mentioned in his journals. A remarkable, insightful account of little-known but important events." - Mary Beth Norton, Cornell University, author of 1774: The Long Year of Revolution "Spero has produced a page-turner full of spies and intrigue that is at the same time an engaging, thought-provoking, and highly informative account of intellectual and political life in the early republic." - Cameron Strang, University of Nevada-Reno, author of Frontiers of Science: Imperialism and Natural Knowledge in the Gulf South Borderlands, 1500-1850 Spero has produced a page-turner full of spies and intrigue that is at the same time an engaging, thought-provoking, and highly informative account of intellectual and political life in the early republic.― Cameron Strang, University of Nevada-Reno, author of Frontiers of Science: Imperialism and Natural Knowledge in the Gulf South Borderlands, 1500-1850 Patrick Spero is Executive Officer of the American Philosophical Society and th