ABSTRACT
The period from 1780 to 1820 has been called the ‘Golden Age’ of geology yet the last eighteen years of it were virtually barren of geomorphology. Throughout, Hutton’s ideas are generally ignored or intermittently discredited and the majority of geologists still accepted Werner’s doctrines. Some of the reasons for this stagnation have already been mentioned; for instance, the extreme novelty of Hutton’s ideas made it unreasonable to expect their rapid acceptance. In addition the Napoleonic wars, which did not end till 1815, prevented easy travel to and on the Continent and largely inhibited Hutton’s ideas from becoming known there. Similarly the second British-United States conflict between 1812 and 1814 hindered the passage of his ideas to that country. Also at home there were many unfavourable influences militating against the spread of Huttonian principles: the universities were backward; the newly founded Geological Society was biased; the Wernerians were active; and the better textbooks were antagonistic or cautious.
