From the Earth to the Moon · Chapter
Urbi et Orbi explained
President Barbicane launches a global subscription to fund the moon projectile, appealing to all nations.
What happens
President Barbicane launches a global subscription to fund the moon projectile, appealing to all nations. The response is overwhelmingly positive, with contributions from around the world, though England refuses to participate. The chapter details the sums raised and the contract signed with the Goldspring Manufactory to cast the Columbiad.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because Michel Ardan’s confident, visionary rhetoric is suddenly challe…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Public Enthusiasm and Media Hype
The chapter describes the widespread public interest and the successful global subscription, driven by Barbicane's manifesto and media coverage.
- Nationalism and American Exceptionalism
Despite the international scope, the enterprise is framed as American, with the Gun Club leading the effort and the United States contributing the largest sum.
- Human Ambition and Exploration
The global subscription demonstrates humanity's collective ambition to reach the moon, transcending national boundaries.
Characters to notice
- Impey Barbicane
President Barbicane issues a manifesto and orchestrates the global subscription, signing the contract with the Goldspring Manufactory.
- Captain Nicholl
His theories are cited by the Greenwich Observatory in their dismissal of Barbicane's proposition.
- J. T. Maston
As a member of the Gun Club, he is implicitly involved in the subscription efforts.
- Murchison
The engineer Murchison is mentioned as the manager of the Goldspring Manufactory, signing the contract with Barbicane.
Key passages
“President Barbicane had resolved—although the enterprise was American—to make it a business of universal interest, and to ask every nation for its financial cooperation.”
Barbicane decided to turn the American project into a global fundraising effort, seeking contributions from all countries.
Highlights the international scope of the subscription.
“England alone remained. The contemptuous antipathy with which she received Barbicane’s proposition is known.”
England was the only nation that refused to contribute, showing disdain for the project.
Emphasizes England's opposition and the national rivalry.
“On the 20th of October a contract was made with the Goldspring Manufactory, New York, which during the war had furnished Parrott with his best cast-iron guns.”
A contract was signed on October 20 with the Goldspring Manufactory, known for supplying Parrott's cast-iron guns during the war.
Details the practical step of contracting the cannon's construction.
