Introduction: Making Nature.

This article introduces a special issue inspired by the American Philosophical Society’s (APS) 2024 exhibition *Sketching Splendor: American Natural History, 1750–1850* and a related conference titled “Making Nature: The Labor of Natural History.” It centers on the diverse and often unacknowledged labor—by enslaved people, sailors, Indigenous contributors, and others—that underpinned early American natural history alongside celebrated figures like William Bartram, Titian Ramsay Peale, and John James Audubon. The contributors examine how natural history was shaped by complex networks of cooperation, coercion, and resistance, while also addressing the challenges of archival erasure and the politics of naming that have marginalized many contributors. The issue further explores contemporary efforts to rethink and “unmake” colonial legacies in natural history collections and museums, emphasizing relational and place-based approaches that acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty and promote inclusivity in the stewardship and interpretation of natural history. [Extracted from the article]