This encyclopedia is an overview of the history of science in America from colonial times to the present. Organized alphabetically within scientific discipline, the set is divided into fourteen sections that include overview essays tracing the historical development of the specific discipline in a cultural and social context; A-to-Z entries on people, institutions, events, developments, and significant concepts; and documents highlighting the development of the discipline. An extensive topic finder, bibliographic citations, and a general index round out this work. - Publisher.