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James Hutton Facts & Worksheets

James Hutton, often referred to as the “father of modern geology” was born in Scotland in 1726.

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James Hutton, often referred to as the “father of modern geology” was born in Scotland in 1726. Along with his work in geology, Hutton was also an agriculturalist and naturalist who put forward the idea of a “system of the habitable Earth.”

See the fact file below for more information on the James Hutton or alternatively, you can download our 20-page James Hutton worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE OF JAMES HUTTON

  • James Hutton was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on June 3rd, 1726; he had four siblings.
  • His father died when he was only three years old.
  • Hutton took an interest in the sciences – particularly chemistry – and math while in school, and he also studied the classics.
  • When he was 17, he apprenticed with a lawyer, but his interest in chemistry prevented him from getting much done!

EARLY WORK AND RESEARCH OF JAMES HUTTON

  • Once he realized his heart lay with chemistry, he and a friend, James Davie, spent a lot of time trying to manufacture sal ammoniac from coal soot.
  • These experiments made Hutton realize that he needed to go back to school to study medicine, which is closely related to chemistry.
  • James continued his studies of medicine at the University of Edinburgh, then the University of Paris, and eventually earned his Ph.D with a thesis on blood circulation in Holland in 1749.

CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING

  • In the mid-1950s, Hutton returned to Edinburgh to work with his close friend James Davie on chemical experiments.
  • Their work resulted in a profitable partnership in producing sal ammoniac (ammonium chloride) from soot.
  • This led to the manufacturing of crystalline salt which was used for dyeing, metalworking, and as smelling salts.
  • Prior to their experiments, these were only available as imports from Egypt.
  • His father’s farms in Slighhouses were endowed to him, and in the early 1750s he moved there to make improvements and experiment with animal and plant husbandry; he wrote his ideas down in
    what would become an unpublished treatise on The Elements of Agriculture.
  • While working on his father’s farms, he became more and more fascinated with the composition of the Earth, its surface, and the matter that makes up rocks, soil, and minerals.

HUTTON’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE

  • Hutton let his farms to tenants in the 1760s, but still remained interested in farm improvements and scientific reading.
  • He traveled widely across the U.K. to study rocks and observe the actions of natural processes.
  • While on his travels, he kept a catalogue of the rocks he found around the coasts, islands, and mountains of Scotland.
  • In addition, he also visited England and Wales.
  • His geological knowledge came in handy when he became involved with the construction of the Forth and Clyde canal which crosses over Central Scotland.
  • Hutton continued to investigate geologic phenomena, rocks, strata, and fossils, but his ideas continued to clash with the still-accepted belief that the Earth had been created only 6,000 years ago, according to the Bible.
  • He maintained the idea, from years of observation and research, that many rocks had been formed by sedimentary processes (such as erosion, compaction, and deposition, among others).
  • He also asserted that new land surfaces were formed by volcanism and other heat processes.
  • Hutton believed that all of these geological processes could fully explain the landforms seen all over the world (without the need for explanations from the Bible) and that these processes have been ongoing for centuries.

HUTTON’S DEATH AND LEGACY

  • Hutton published these findings in his book Theory of the Earth after 25 years of work and research.
  • He presented his book on March 4th and April 7th of 1785 at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
  • He continued to study rocks and rock formations with fellow scientist and naturalist, John Playfair, all around the U.K.
  • Hutton received criticism upon the publishing of Theory of the Earth in 1788, for being atheistic and not logical.
  • He also contributed his ideas to meteorology by discussing the properties of moisture in relation to condensation and climate,
    as well as his suggestion that biological and geological processes are interlinked.
  • Hutton also advocated a form of evolution, suggesting that if an organized body is not in a situation that it is best adapted for, it will either depart for better conditions, or it will die, years before Charles Darwin’s famous “Theory of Evolution” was ever conceived.
  • James Hutton died in Edinburgh on March 26, 1797 at the age of
    70 as a result of complications from stones in his bladder.
  • He is buried in Edinburgh’s Greyfriars Churchyard.

James Hutton Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the James Hutton across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use James Hutton worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about James Hutton, often referred to as the “father of modern geology” who was born in Scotland in 1726. Along with his work in geology, Hutton was also an agriculturalist and naturalist who put forward the idea of a “system of the habitable Earth.”

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • James Hutton Facts
  • Hutton’s Intellectual Club
  • The Making of Sedimentary Rocks
  • James Hutton Wordsearch
  • The Scottish Enlightenment
  • Theory of the Earth
  • James Hutton Crossword
  • Key Concepts
  • Commemorative Stamp
  • Hutton Acrostic
  • James Hutton Coloring Page

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Use With Any Curriculum

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