The Cape Ann Sea Serpent and the Linnaean Society

Record summary

The Cape Ann reports were examined in discussions involving the Linnaean Society of New England and became part of early American attempts to classify a supposed sea serpent. The case is significant because it sits between local folklore, newspaper sensationalism and institutional natural history. Critics questioned the observations and proposed known animals, whereas supporters treated the consistency of descriptions as evidence for a new species. The society’s publications and associated commentary can reveal how evidentiary standards differed between formal science and popular natural history.