Exploration Of The Great Northwest Essay

“The exploration of the Great Northwest produced some of the most heroic figures in our history” (MRL,22). The book fails to mention the heinous acts committed by many of the “heroes” of the nation in the name of “civilizing” the West. History is filled with people doing things “for the good of their country”. For example, it is easy to point out our founding fathers going to war with Great Britain to grant us freedom. It is almost even easier to point out that when Hitler started World War II, he was doing it “for the good of his country”. In the successes and failures of these undertakings, there is a certain amount of pride that individuals hold when discussing the exploration of the “Great Northwest”. By looking at various historical examples, it is clear that nationalism played a gigantic role in the exploration of the West.
The Louisiana territory is a big factor in both French and American history. Originally belonging to the French. Louisiana received its name from a French explorer (Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle) in 1682. When Cavelier reached the mouth of the
The men’s journey was America's first real trek out to the West. The excursion uncovered various flora and fauna as well as new environments. Throughout the trip, the men learned to respect others. At the beginning of the excursion, there is a definite distrust between Lewis and Charbonneau, Lewis going far enough to call Charbonneau a “man of no particular merit” (MRL, 34). Additionally, farther into the journey Lewis ignores the warnings of other Native Americans and “makes camp with a band of Blackfeet”, ultimately leading to the death of members of the tribe (MRL, 39). On the other hand, there are instances where the men listen to the Native Americans and succeed with their travels. Conclusively reaching St. Louis on September 23, 1806, the men returned to a “heroes welcome”(MRL,