Samuel Bowen (289)

Samuel Bowen (1732–1777) was a seaman, manufacturer, slaveholder, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1769. In 1758, Bowen set sail with the East India Trading Company to a trading post in Canton (now Guangzhou). Upon arrival, the Chinese imprisoned Bowen and, according to Bowen’s account, moved him around the interior of the empire for the next four years. He reappeared in London in 1763, receiving compensation from the East India Trading Company, with his capture taken into account. A year later, Bowen established himself in Savannah, Georgia: marrying into a connected family and acquiring a plantation which was dubbed “Greenwich.” He then tasked the Surveyor-General of Georgia with planting some seeds he acquired while in China, making Bowen the first person to introduce soybeans to the United States. He used the bean to manufacture noodles and soy sauce which he sold back in England to great success. He was awarded a gold medal from the Society of Arts, Manufacturers, and Commerce, and a gift of 200 guineas from King George III (1766), received a patent for his methods (1767), and his work was recognized by the American Philosophical Society, who elected him and created a committee that distributed his seeds to American farmers for local manufacture (1769). Not much is known about Bowen after that, although it is assumed his business was interrupted during the Revolutionary War, especially considering he died during the conflict.