David Lavender
Author
Description
The 775-mile-long wagon road between frontier Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico was dangerous. Intense heat, killing blizzards, and the constant threat of attacking Indians made traveling the Santa Fe Trail very risky. In spite of the hardships, the Santa Fe Trail became an important link in America's growth. The area along the Santa Fe Trail became vital to the Union in the Civil War. After its victory, the area became a main frontier and the railroad...
26) The great West
Author
Pub. Date
c1985
Description
Rev. ed. of: The American Heritage history of the great West. 1965. A history of the exploration and conquest of the West from 1763 to the twilight of the frontier in the twentieth century.
Author
Pub. Date
[2001]
Description
"Lavender sets the stage with an account of the imperial rivalries between England, Spain, France, and the United States, and their role in Thomas Jefferson's decision to sponsor an expedition that might strengthen the young country's claims to lands it had purchased but never seen. Lavender then takes us through the steps that led to the selection of Meriwether Lewis as the Corps of Discovery's leader with William Clark as coleader. From there the...