BETA
Chapter 1
The pirate attack on metric standards
Chapter 2
The Industrial Revolution lock-in
Chapter 3
The great metric rebellion of the 1970s
Chapter 4
The hidden metric reality of modern America
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why the US measures in feet
Ch 1 · The pirate attack on metric standards
hank Pirates Stop Metric System US
Old Joseph Dombey sailed from France, with metric standards so new. But Caribbean pirates attacked, so we still measure feet with you!
hank A massive storm blew Dombey's ship off course into the Caribbean, where British-backed privateers captured him and stole the metric standards.
hank In 1794, French scientist Joseph Dombey set sail for America carrying the world's first official metric standards to present to Thomas Jefferson.
Fun Fact
The missing weight: The copper kilogram stolen by pirates in 1794 eventually ended up with an American surveyor and is now owned by the US government.
Glossary
privateer (noun)
An armed private ship or its commander licensed by a government to attack and plunder enemy vessels. In 1794, British privateers captured a French vessel carrying the early metric standards meant for Thomas Jefferson.
An armed private ship or its commander licensed by a government to attack and plunder enemy vessels. In 1794, British privateers captured a French vessel carrying the early metric standards meant for Thomas Jefferson.
Quiz
On which Caribbean island did the captured French scientist Joseph Dombey die in captivity?
Quiz
What was the name of the French scientist captured by pirates while carrying the metric prototypes?
Quiz
Who replaced Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State before another French metric emissary could arrive?