Exploration and Empire: The Explorer and the Scientist in the Winning of the American West

Fred H. and Ella Mae Moore Texas History Reprint Series

by William H. Goetzmann

In this classic work, Goetzmann argues that the exploration of the American West was not a series of haphazard adventures motivated by personal gain, but rather a series of carefully planned missions to promote the national good. He draws on the diaries and letters of explorers to contrast the early American expeditions, sponsored by the federal government to promote national development, with private British ventures, such as the Hudson’s Bay Company, which sought commercial gain.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the first explorers with a broad and explicit sense of national purpose, setting out in 1804 with instructions from President Thomas Jefferson to collect information “covering the whole range of natural history from geology to Indian vocabularies.” And as Lewis and Clark traveled toward the American Northwest, William Dunbar and Dr. George Hunter journeyed south to collect information on the newly acquired Louisiana Territory.

Two major eras of Western exploration followed the one launched by Lewis and Clark: the period of settlement and investment (1845–1860) and the era of the great surveys (1860–1900). During the first of these, explorers such as John B. Weller and John Russell Bartlett became political diplomats as well as discoverers as they surveyed the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico. During the second period, explorers were no longer discoverers or diplomats, but academic scientists, such as Josiah Dwight Whitney, whose philosophy influenced twentieth-century attitudes toward conservation and the environment.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Science, Geology, Westerns

702 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

William H. Goetzmann was an award-winning historian and emeritus professor in the American Studies and American Civilization Programs at the University of Texas at Austin. He attended Yale University as a graduate student and was friends with Tom Wolfe while there. His work on the American West won him the highest prizes for historians, the Parkman Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. He has written and published extensively on American philosophy, American political history, and the American arts. An advocate for the importance of history as a public discussion, he has served in various capacities in television and film production, notably for PBS. He was most recently the Jack S. Blanton, Sr., Chair Emeritus in History and American Studies. His last book published during his lifetime was Beyond the Revolution: A History of American Thought From Paine to Pragmatism (2009). (from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jonfaith]

I’m not versed in the Old West. As I noted early, I was hoping for a narrative history of scientific endeavor on the frontier and this isn’t really that, although it is fascinating. Mountain men and railroad surveyors occupy much of the book. It was pure chance that I was reading the section detailing Jim Bridger and the Utah War while unbeknownst my wife was being enchanted by the Netflix original American Primeval which is grounded upon such.

I’m presently looping together a project centered around John Wesley Powell. I had hoped this would be an exciting point of entry. It proved many things, but it wasn’t really that. The book features a number of charming anecdotes as well as a beguiling bibliography. I appreciated the number of illustrations and photographs as well. The emphasis on representation was an intriguing one.
3.6 stars

[David Kessler]

A thoroughly consuming book. The explorers of the early West worked for themselves and some worked for the Feds. What could they have accomplished in the field of science which could first of all allow the Washington officials to acquire more land and establish the current boundaries of the United States. They studied the land: geology, cartography and mineralogy. And of course sent back to the Smithsonian plants and animals(botany and zoology). This metaphysical acquiring of knowledge was not closely observed until decades later. This was of period with little patience as pioneer families were only interested in the practical and needed to quickly find an economic usage for everything.

[Bob]

If you want to understand the history of the exploration of the Western US, it is all here under one cover. From the early explorations of Lewis and Clark and others looking for pathways across the Rockies to the Pacific to the railroad surveyors, to the military and scientific surveyors who sought to map the country and its resources, all of this is covered. On occasion, this can seem like "one damn thing after another" history, but perhaps some of this is necessary in a work of this sort. Nevertheless, the characters of folk like Hayden and John Wesley Powell come through as well as their signal accomplishments. All of this goes to argue the case that the way Americans surveyed and explored for settlement rather than simple exploitation paved the way for American control of this land as well as the present day settlement patterns (for good or for ill).

Particularly interesting, having read Stegner recently, were the recommendations of John Wesley Powell for settlement patterns based on the aridity of the land. Many of our water problems in the present day west trace back to the neglect of his proposals by local interests.

The book includes the art work and photography of the Morans and Jacksons that were so significant in promoting tourism and settlement. It made me want to explore to see if what has been written about these artists and photographers.

[Fredrick Danysh]

The author discusses scientific expeditions of the American West and how they helped to create the American empire. Many different explorers are discussed. This work places a different perspective on the history of the region.

[Ken Bickley]

Quite scholarly, but good history nevertheless.

[Dave Franklin]

William H. Goetzmann's "Exploration and Empire" is an epic tome which chronicles centuries of excursions into the American West.

Goettzmann principally focuses on nineteenth century exploration, which he divides into a three-stage framework. The first, beginning with Lewis and Clark, is marked by tentative efforts to obtain the most basic data. Next came a period of settlement and extractive commerce. In the final stage, massive government funded surveys are staged to map and catalog the entirety of the West.

As the book and the century wane, we are left with the end of the frontier and all that it implies- a' la Frederick Jackson Turner. The work was a winner of the Parkman Prize, and is a great read.

[John Senner]

WOW. More than you could possible want to know about the exploration of the West (United States). Starting with Lewis and Clark and progressing through the fur trappers and traders, then searches for wagon trails to Santa Fe, San Francisco, Astoria, followed by the railroad engineers. Then came the geologists, fossil hunters, plant collectors, mountain climbers and river runners, ending with John Wesley Powell's two trips through the Grand Canyon. 1805 to 1900. Lots of Manifest Destiny stuff with the American Natives being pesky problems to be dealt with.

[Richard Kravitz]

I've had this book for ages and finally read it. I had to read it in 3 parts because it was pretty detailed and the print was quite small. In between sections 1 & 2 and sections 2 & 3, I read other books.

The book was pretty good, very scientific and tons of footnotes. The title pretty much says it all and I was familiar with a number of the scientists from other readings and knew many of the peaks named after them. John Wesley Powell, Josiah Whitney, Clarence King, George Wheeler, etc.

If you like history and the lands of the Western U.S. go for it.

[David Iverson]

Excellent well detailed, researched account of the american west in the 19th century...found many excellent & obscure to me books in the footnotes...

[Ellen Fisher]

Goetzmann's usual thorough research with many opinions makes this book something a historian can count on when researching an age or time. It's also well written and enjoyable to read.

[Bob Gustafson]

This book won a Pulitzer Prize in history in 1967. Who am I to disagree?

It is a detailed telling of what the title says. It begins with the Lewis and Clark expedition, but only touches that, and it is a rather blurry starting point as he writes about the exploration, for material ends by American fur trappers, for territorial ends by Canadians and by Mexicans seeking to get beyond the control of their government. It ends with the career of John Wesley Powell around 1893.

This is not available as an e-book and that is good. The graphics belong on a printed page. The only shortcoming is that the text and the maps don't always correspond and that's a little annoying. It would be better if read leisurely, using Google Earth simultaneously.

My usual style of reading is to make notes of things that intrigue me and then look them up on Wikipedia. I had the backwards experience with this book. Goetzmann had more to say, usually, than the Wikipedia entry.

If the topic interests you, obtain this book.

[Phil]

Found the first half of the book rather hard going because the exploration was all about fur trapping and map making. However, when the naturalists were added to the explorations, my interest picked up considerably. This is a very fine telling of the story of the exploration of our nation with a strong emphasis on the scientists that were a major part of it and the institutions that orginated from the scientific discoveries.

[Erica]

Landmark in "exploration" history, if astoundingly racist and heinous in his descriptions of Native American life across the continent in the 19th century. He delineates a useful periodization of the types of exploration that were performed: 1803-1845: era of imperial rivalry. 1845-1860: manifest destiny & RRs. 1860-1900: Great Surveys. Useful as a reference text/overview of major military, commercial and scientific expeditions.

[Thom Dunn]

{Francis Parkman Prize Edition (2006), copyright 1966) ]

[ANNE]

Excellent history of geology Explorationists in US. National Parks, the grand Cnyon, the early artists & photographers of the West-all here! Warning: low estrogen content if any.