ABSTRACT
Menageries in what was to become the United States emerged just as those in Britain and Europe were becoming modern public zoological gardens. Although very little has been known about the early historical development of American zoos and aquariums, information on this subject has increased significantly during the 1980s and 1990s. The discussion here is only intended as an introduction, since it would not be possible to consider all the varied cultural influences affecting the development of these institutions and because information is still lacking for many of the individual institutions.
