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Benjamin Franklin's Mastodon Tooth

By , About.com Guide

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Natural History and American Independence
Collage of the Signers of the American Declaration of Independence and a Mastodon Skeleton

Collage of the Signers of the American Declaration of Independence and a Mastodon Skeleton

Paul Semonin
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The mastodon tooth is likewise a window into the social and political consequences being brought about by this evolving understanding of natural history. Recent scholarship by Paul Semonin reveals that during the 18th century the mastodon became a symbol of the new nation's spirit when patriotism and North American prehistoric nature became intertwined. The presumed ferocity of the beast led to its becoming an important symbol of national identity. This creature supported the idea of a grand history for the new American continent, while its extinction foreshadowed the destiny of American conquest over untamed wilderness.

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