The Wild West 2: Go West

of the Appalachian Mountains. To aid in the British colonization of unappropriated lands, the Virginia Council and Governor made land grants, some of which were quite large. Colonist John Lewis headed up the Loyal Company of Virginia, a survey company that secured one of the Governor's grants on July twelfth of seventeen forty eight. The Loyal Company was granted over eight hundred thousand acres surrounding the Virginia and North Carolina area

and ran westward to present day Kentucky Key. Essentially, the company enticed settlers to purchase land. It goes without saying that neither the French nor the British consulted the indigenous people regarding this landgrad The grant and the company were quite the endeavor, but John had help. His neighbors Peter and Joshua, as well as friends Thomas Walker and Thomas Merriweather,

were also Loyal Company grant recipients. When John secured the grant, he appointed Thomas Walker as an agent and sent him and several other men westward to explore potential land acquisitions. The Loyal Company wasn't the only business surveying and selling land, though, and got into conflict with another surveying business, the Ohio Company. The Loyal Company began advertising promising settler's cheap land. They offered buyers the option of reasonable payments. Squatters were forced

to pay the Loyal Company's asking price. Before Thomas Walker and a few of the other men set out to survey parts of eastern Kentucky, Peter made a name for himself through another more notable expedition. Peter's reputation as a skilled surveyor had long preceded him. He had come from a family who owned considerable property near present day Richmond, Virginia. In addition to his skills and intelligence, his physical strength

and endurance were about to be tested. Peter had teamed up with another surveyor, Joshua Fry, in seventeen forty six, to mark off property owned by Lord Fairfax. The uncharted territory across the state proved to be quite a dangerous adventure. The pair first headed south, marking the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina. The terrain across the Blue Ridge Mountains was treacherous, and reportedly the men fought off attacks from local wildlife at night. The pair had to sleep

in trees for safety. Their expedition led Louis Burwell, Virginia's acting governor, to commission the men to create a map of the region in seventeen fifty. The governor worried that the French were potentially encroaching on British territory, and the surveyor's previous expedition and detail held material made them the most logical choice. Peter and Joshua worked tirelessly on the map,

printed in seventeen fifty one. In the following years, the map's accuracy benefited British generals during the Seven Years War. Four copperplate engravings were made of the map, making it Virginia's most significant map of its day, and most importantly, the map would be used decades later, in seventeen eighty one by Peter's son Thomas, as part of a book that he would write called Notes on the State of Virginia and what was Peter's son's full name, Thomas Jefferson.

I'm Aaron Mankee, and welcome to the Wild West. From Alaska and parts of Canada and throughout the lower forty eight States, the indigenous peoples lived independently, each self supporting. They built homes or followed the migration of animals. They formed their own systems of government and trade whatever foods or products they traded. Most indigenous people valued one thing

above all, their land, and other countries agreed. Europeans first began to set up colonies shortly after Christopher Columbus's journey, and the Spanish conquistro or Hernando de Soto arrived in search of gold in the mid sixteenth century, ordering the slaughter of any tribe thought to be hiding gold. Meanwhile, the French began to settle in the territories from Canada down to what is present day Louisiana. The first English attempts at settlements in fifteen eighty five and again two

years later during the Roanoke Colony failed. The English first found success in sixteen oh seven with Jamestown, Virginia. However, survival wouldn't have been possible without the help from local indigenous tribes. Further north, England established a colony at Plymouth in sixteen twenty with assistance from the native peoples. More Europeans arrived, all looking to seize land from local tribes.

Although Native Americans fought to keep their land, the onslaught of immigrants and the diseases that they brought forced them further into the nation's interior. While England began colonizing the New World's eastern regions, the French kept busy with the interior. Although we think of the English settlements taking over much of present day America, in the mid eighteenth century, France

controlled more US territory than England or Spain. On April ninth of sixteen eighty two, French explorer Robert Cavalier stood before a group of Native Americans and announced that their land now belonged to King Louis the fourteenth and named the region Louisiana after the French monarch. Later, in seventeen eighteen, Jean Baptiste Lemoyne founded Nouvelle or Leone in honor of Prince Philippe, regent to France and the Duke of Orleon.

The French and Indian War brought changes in land rights, and France surrendered the Louisiana territory west of the misiss Sippy to Spain in seventeen sixty two and the rest to Great Britain a year later. To Thomas Jefferson, the western frontier held great potential. Jefferson shared his father's love of exploration and land, and like his father, Jefferson had

extensive knowledge of American territory. In fact, in seventeen seventy nine, while still Virginia's governor, he attempted to strike a deal with the Spanish for land access in Louisiana. While the deal failed, Jefferson kept his eye on the prize the port city of New Orleans. During his rise to power in seventeen ninety nine, Napoleon sought to re establish France in America. In eighteen hundred, Spain quietly exchanged land in Italy for Louisiana. Jefferson feared that Napoleon would cut off

access to the Mississippi River and the port city. By eighteen oh one, Jefferson had become the nation's third president. What lay beyond a fifty mile westward radius from most settlements remained mostly unknown, though in his address Jefferson promised to change that. In support of his belief that God had given men land to explore and tame, Jefferson offered George Rogers Clark funding to explore the western territory. Clark declined, but suggested that his brother William might be up to

the task instead. When Spain's King Charles the Fourth officially signed over Louisiana in eighteen oh two, tensions between the US and France escalated. US rights to the ports expired, risking large amounts of goods. As Jefferson feared, frontiersmen suggested taking Louisiana by force instead, an opportunity presented itself, you see years earlier, in seventeen ninety one, a revolt in Sandamanga among the enslaved people there started a domino effect,

forcing France to abolish slavery to stem the violence. It didn't work, though, before long, enslaved people took over, and more revolts in French owned territories followed. When winter weather thwarted Napoleon's plans to send troops from the Netherlands to New Orleans and eighteen oh three, Jefferson offered to buy the city. To his surprise, the French gave him the opportunity to buy the entire Louisiana territory, from Canada to

the Rocky Mountains and south from the Mississippi River. While France had plenty of reasons, Jefferson didn't ponder them too much. He had been granted nine million dollars to make the deal, hardly close to the twenty two million asking price. Through negotiations, the agreed price was dropped to fifteen million dollars, Jefferson accepted without Washington's approval. While some approved of Jefferson overstepping

his bounds, others did not. On May second of eighteen oh three, France and the US signed the deal and backdated it to April thirtieth, though the US wouldn't take over until later that year. The day was bright and sunny on December twelfth of eighteen oh three in New Orleans main square, officials lowered the French tricolor and hoisted

the American flag throughout the port. People cheered. Meanwhile, though French politician Pierre Clement de la Sas stood on the balcony at the town hall and quietly wept go West. It's a phrase we've often heard, and even before the Louisiana purchase, Jefferson had his mindset on sending explorers on an expedition to the Pacific. He wrote Congress on January eighteenth of eighteen oh three, asking for twenty five hundred

dollars for the Core of Discovery. The purpose, he explained, would be to establish trade with the indigenous tribes, and a CFO water route to the Pacific Ocean existed. Congress approved the expedition in February of eighteen oh three. Jefferson wrote his secretary Meriwether Lewis four months later, asking him to lead the expedition. Lewis had served with the militia during the Whiskey Rebellion before becoming Jefferson's secretary. At the

age of twenty seven. He had risen to the rank of captain in the arm Although he was born in Virginia, Lewis spent most of his youth in Georgia, where he had learned to hunt. Jefferson asked Lewis to document everything from plants and animals to the soil, weather and topography, and the indigenous people that they encountered. To prepare, Lewis studied under the nation's top scientists in Philadelphia. He also visited Harper's Ferry to stock up on rifles, ammunition, and

other supplies that Jefferson thought necessary for the journey. While the supplies were shipped to Philadelphia, Lewis began selecting recruits to join him. He chose William Clark to be his partner and sent him a letter on June nineteenth. In addition to his military record, Clark excelled at making maps. Lewis explained that their journey would take them well outside of US territory, although France and Great Britain had granted them a passport. Lewis planned to start from the mouth

of the Mississippi River. The journey wouldn't be easy, though The river current was swift and downed logs submerged under the surface might capsize boats. Every observation and every recording must be cared for and protected. Jefferson orders included that they were to treat all indigenous tribes with courtesy and friendliness. He supplied Lewis with smallpox vaccines to give to the tribes.

On July eighteenth, Clark replied, accepting Lewis's request. Clark was also a Native Virginian, although his family had moved to Kentucky when he was a teenager. During the summer, Lewis had a custom boat made to accommodate the crew. Construction took longer than expected, but on August thirty first, Lewis and a crew of eleven set off down the Ohio River.

After overcoming some initial difficulties, they arrived in Clarksville, Indiana on October fourteenth, where Clark and an additional nine men joined them. And if that coincidence of names Clark and Clarksville makes you curious, yes, the place was named after a Clark, William Clark's brother George Rogers Clark, the man responsible for William's involvement in the first place. It seems maybe they were looking for a poetic start to their journey.

Two months later, the team arrived in Saint Louis. The men spent the winter recruiting and training others, growing the Corp of Discovery to over seventy people. On May fourteenth of eighteen oh four, after gathering additional supplies, the Corps headed up the Missouri River on their custom keel boats and additional canoes. Strong currents, insects, and heat made for a slow and uncomfortable start. Lewis and Clark journaled everything, too,

naming streams, animals, and plants along the way. Every morning, hunters searched for food, and while Lewis walked the shoreline documenting what he found, Clark stayed on the boat. Over the course of the expedition, Lewis and Clark met with and took council with about fifty different local tribes to establish goodwill. Lewis and Clark presented the tribe's leader with a Jefferson Indian peace metal and offered to trade goods.

Interestingly enough, they also informed the tribes that America owned their lands, and in a shoe of peace, offered military protection. In late September, they traveled through Sioux Territory in what is now Pierre, South Dakota. Lewis and Clark knew that the Tensions between the Sioux and the settlers were high, as well as with another neighboring tribe. At first, their interactions did not go well, but in the end they

shared a meal and stories before traveling on. When the frost began to appear with regularity and the nights grew cooler, the men built a fort for the winter just north of present day Bismarck, North Dakota, and nearby lived two notable Native American tribes, the Mandan and the Hidatsa. The two coexisted peacefully during their more than one hundred and fifty day residency. At the camp that they named Fort Mandan,

they met Sheheke, a member of the Mandan tribe. Much of the survival of the corps is owed to him. Although white settlers had brought smallpox to the area and wiped out a significant amount of his tribe, he still offered his assistance, even providing them with a map. But the Mandan, of course, weren't the only Native Americans to help Louis and Clark. The expedition westward meant crossing the Rocky Mountains, and without the help of the Shoshone, the

trip would be impossible. Fortunately for Lewis and Clark, they met Toussaint Charboneau, a trapper and fur trader who had two Shoshone wives. One of Charboneau's wives was a teenage Shoshone girl named Sakajuwea. In February of eighteen oh five, Sakajuia gave birth to a little boy named Jean Baptiste. Lewis and Clark learned that she had come to live with the Hidatsas when she was a child. Her tribe

had traveled from the area of Colorado. The Hidatsa attacked, taking the women and children with them with a snow and ice melting In the spring of eighteen oh five. Lewis and Clark sent some of the party back to Saint Louis with a variety of soil samples, artifacts, seeds, and small animals. The remainder of the camp, including the addition of Charboneau, Sakajuwea, and their infant son, began their

journey west. Lewis journaled new plants and animal specimens, including grizzly bears, which they hunted until a few of the bears hunted back. That is, on June thirteenth, they came to the great Falls. Lewis wrote that the rapids made crossing at that point impossible, forcing them to continue on foot for eighteen miles, and as you imagine, carrying the supplies was backbreaking. Mosquitoes and rattlesnakes were plentiful, and the hunters had to contend with those grizzly bears when they

were out foraging for food. In late July, they reached the location on the map marked three forks of the Missouri River. They took a few days to rest in late July before setting off toward the Continental Divide along the deepest of the three streams. At one point, Sakajuwia recognized a landmark from her childhood. This was good news

to Lewis. He was anxious to meet the Shoshone. If they were to cross the mountains before winter, they needed horses, but the first Shoshone man they met was spooked and ran off, fearing that they were the Hidatsa or some other tribe who might attack them. It was August twelfth when Lewis stood at the Lem High Pass. Instead of plains, mountains as far as the eye could see greeted him. The view was a thing of beauty, but they needed horses now more than ever. Luckily, the very next day,

the group came upon a few shoshonees. Louis did his best to show them that he meant no harm. The Shoshone agreed to bring the travelers to their village. They were met with warriors, but again Lewis managed to calm their fears. Suspicions arose the next day when Lewis pushed them for horses. Fortunately, Sakajawea was the chief's sister and managed to negotiate the sale of some of the tribe's horses. Leuis listened to the Shoshone's advice about their route to

the Colorado River. These sheer cliffs and rapids would be more than just treacherous. The Shoshone advised against the route, although they did provide Lewis and Clark with a guide to help them over the mountain range. Old Toby, as the Shoshone called him, didn't lead the expedition party over the easiest terrain, though. Instead he took them due north over the rugged Bitter Root Range. From there, he led them through a pass along the Continental Divide, where they

met the Salish, a tribe similar to the Shoshone. Lewis and Clark attained more horses and supplies from them while they rested for a few days. Lewis and Clark also learned that the river leading to the ocean was a five day journey through the Bitter Root Range. The corps set out on September eleventh of eighteen oh five. Instead of five days, the journey took them eleven. The descent down the range was difficult on the best of days, but winter had come early and the snow was deep.

One of the horses carrying supplies lost its footing and fell to its death. In desperation, Clark set out with six men ahead of the group. He hoped to find a tribe of Native Americans who might help them, especially with food, and thankfully, after just a couple of days, the group came across the Nez Perce. The explorers were the first white men the tribe had ever seen. Louis and the rest of the corps arrived a few days later. Due to the language barrier, the group took to sign

language for communication. They learned that travel by water was once again possible, and the men got to work making canoes. After leaving their horses with the Nez Perce. The Core of Discovery set out on five canoes on October seventh. By October sixteenth, they had reached the Columbia River. Lewis and Clark finally arrived off the Oregon coast in November of eighteen oh five. With winter closing in, the weary but joyful explorers set up camp, choosing to stay until

March of eighteen oh six. As he marveled at the beauty of the Pacific, Clark carved a few words on the bark of a large pine. William Clark December three, eighteen o five. The corp of Discovery made their way back across the country in the late spring of eighteen oh six. Every time hown they passed through on their return journey celebrated their success, and Jefferson rewarded both of

the men Upon their return to Washington. In addition to his salary, Lewis received sixteen hundred acres of land and was given the office of governor over the Louisiana Territory. Sadly, Lewis developed a drinking problem. On October eleventh of eighteen oh nine, he died in Tennessee. Some say that he took his own life, while others believe that he may have actually been murdered. Clark fared much better. Jefferson appointed him an agent for indigenous people's affairs. He also ascended

to the rank of brigadier general. In eighteen o eight. He married Julia Hancock, and when Sakajuea passed away in eighteen twelve, Clark and his wife raised her children. The following year, he became the governor of the Missouri Territory. He passed away in eighteen thirty eight. Without saka Juea's help, perhaps the Lewis and Clark expedition would have been different,

although there are misconceptions regarding her part to play. She led the men to her place of birth, where they met up with the Shoshone, but she was not the guide for the entire expedition. Even so, her translation skills and resourcefulness and knowledge of familiar land were crucial to the expedition's success. Lewis and the other members of the corps noted that her presence with the child helped tensions

when making contact with new tribes. Warriors knew that no woman with a child would travel with a war party. It's also noted that saka Juea helped the others become more in tune with Native Americans and to see nature a bit more from their perspective. Her part in bringing together different cultures was immeasurable. On August fourteenth of eighteen oh six, Sakajuea, her son, and her husband returned to the Hidatsa Mandan settlement. Three years later, Clark offered them

land to farm in exchange for educating their son. Farming life didn't suit zaka Juea and Charboneau, and they returned to fur trading. Saka Juea died in eighteen two twelve at the age of twenty five, near what is now present day Bismarck, North Dakota, and while some believe that she was buried on the Wind River Reservation where the Lemhi Shoshone tribe lived, others disagree. And as I said before, Clark took in her two children, Lizette and Pierre Baptiste.

Although Jefferson instructed Lewis to take detailed notes on the people they met, Lewis never gave the same attention to Sakajawea or anyone else in the Core for that matter. Although she is undeniably one of the key figures in American history. There exists no painting, no descriptions, and no drawings of the woman herself. Our history with the indigenous

peoples of North America is obviously complex and nuanced. It's clear from the story of Lewis and Clark that their journey west would not have been possible without Native American assistance, and to be clear, they seemed grateful for that in the moment. Still, the results of that interaction are far from ideal. With that in mind, we've set aside one more story of exploration, complex relationships, and the pain of history.

Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear my teammates Ali Steed tell you all about it.

his days in the woods. Numerous Indigenous settlements existed within some twenty or thirty miles of his home, giving young Boone the opportunity to learn from several different tribes, and his time with them strongly influenced the remainder of his life. Deep in the forest, he also met other hunters of European descent. White and indigenous hunters hot Boone the ways of the forest, and most considered him a friend. In the spring of seventeen fifty, the Boone family moved near

the Yadkin River in North Carolina. After serving in the militia during the French and Indian War, Boone returned home in the summer of seventeen fifty five. A year later, he married Rebecca Bryan, and they settled in the Yadkin Valley. Over the years, the family grew with several hungry mouths to feed. Boone disappeared for months at a time during the fall and winter to hunt for food, returning in

the spring to sell his pelts to traders. While Boone hunted, his wife was left to maintain and defend the homestead and raise their children all alone. In seventeen fifty nine, a group of Cherokee raided the Yadkin Valley, forcing the Boone family and many others to flee to Culpepper County, Virginia. Boone remained friends with many of his fellow militiamen, including John Findley, a trader that told him stories about the

lands beyond the Appalachians. In the fall and winter of seventeen sixty seven and sixty eight, Boone traveled across the mountains, though he never saw the areas. Findley described. Boone's relationship with many of the Cherokee people remained good, and he occasionally hunted with them while on his travels. He and a few other hunters set out for a second trip to Kentucky in May of seventeen sixty nine. They followed the Great Warrior's Path and crossed Appalachian ridges and valleys.

Others like Thomas Walker of the Loyal Land Company, had also made the same journey. Eventually, the hunters came upon the most famous gap in North America, the Cumberland Gap. Boone's love of the area prompted him to stay, and he didn't return home to his family until May of seventeen seventy one. Determined to settle in the area beyond the Cumberland Gap, Boone convinced five other families to move with him, and in seventeen seventy three he led those

families along the trails he had previously traveled. Unfortunately, Native Americans were upset by the influx of settlers taking over their lands and attacked the party, killing one of Boone's sons. Despite this tragedy, Boone continued his work in Kentucky. His explorations had gained him widespread fame and admiration, and in seventeen seventy four, Judge Richard Henderson hired him to explore Kentucky and mark at a trail that became known as

Wilderness Road. In seventeen seventy five, Boone founded a town along the banks of the Kentucky River, which he called Boonsborough. However, local Shawnee and Cherokee tribes met this settlement with resistance. The tribes temporarily kidnapped his daughter in July of seventeen seventy six, and the following year Boone was shot during an attack, but he recovered. The Shawnee captured Boone in seventeen seventy eight, though he managed to escape while on

his way to buy land permits. Boone was ambushed and robbed. The settlers demanded that he repay their money, and some even sued. By seventeen eighty eight, Boone left Kentucky and relocated to Point Pleasant, West Virginia. There he served as lieutenant colonel and legislative delegate of his county before moving to Missouri. During the Revolutionary War, Boone lost another son, and in seventeen eighty three, as the war ended, Boone and his family moved to a settlement along the Ohio

River in Limestone, Kentucky. Boone had become a legend before his death, in part thanks to author John Filson. In seventeen eighty three, Philson toured Kentucky, interviewing prominent men. Philson met with Boone, who happily shared his stories. The more Philson learned, the more he sensed an epic tale, certainly far grander than the guide books he had set out to write. With guidance from Boone and others, Philson completed

his book. In the first half, Philson described Kentucky's geography, its rivers and soil and climate, and provided a detailed map. But in the second half, Philson transformed Boone's stories, enthralling readers for Generations to come.

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