Final answer:
The Bureau of American Ethnology was established within the Smithsonian Institution in the late 19th century to support scholarly research on Indigenous peoples of the Americas with notable figures such as Franz Boas playing a significant role in its development. Boas advocated for direct fieldwork, marking a departure from earlier 'armchair anthropology' practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was formed as a part of the Smithsonian Institution in the late 19th century. This bureau was a primary source of governmental support for scholarly research on the cultures and languages of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. A crucial figure in American ethnology and anthropology during this period was Franz Boas, who is recognized for emphasizing the importance of conducting fieldwork directly with cultures and led anthropological studies at a federal level in his associate role at the BAE. Notable projects included research into Native American languages and cultures, especially as many Native languages were dying out.
Ethnology and ethnographic research took several forms throughout history. In the 19th century, 'armchair anthropology' was quite common, where researchers like Lewis Henry Morgan constructed theories based mainly on secondhand accounts rather than direct fieldwork. Later, the influence of scholars like Boas, who advocated for direct engagement with study subjects, helped to transform the field. Anthropologists and linguists associated with the BAE, such as the commissioned anthropologist Gatschet, would live among the Native peoples and study their languages and cultures firsthand.