Who was William Bartram and why should anyone care . William Bart was an American Naturalist and was the son of John Bartram, an eminent naturalist. Bartram had such a rare talent for drawing that it caught the attention of Benjamin Franklin, so Franklin decided to offer him a job as an Engraver but he was already an apprentice to a merchant in Philadelphia. After he finished his apprenticeship, he moved to Bladen Country with his uncle William, who had a large plantation. Since he was so fascinated by all the different kinds of plants he drew, King George the third appointed him a botanist title. When William Bartram embarked on his mission to Florida, he develop an admiration for the plants that he saw.