Across the Continent: Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and the Making of America

by Douglas Seefeldt (Editor), Peter S. Onuf (Editor), Jeffrey L. Hantman (Editor)

An obscure undertaking in its own time, the Lewis and Clark expedition has grown in the American imagination, acquiring an almost mythic stature. Arriving as the country commemorates the expedition’s bicentennial, Across the Continent is not an exercise in demythologizing; rather, it is an examination of the explorers’ world and the complicated ways in which it relates to our own. The essays collected here look at the global geopolitics that provided the context for the expedition―and at the interest in science, shared by Jefferson, that not only grew from the expedition but, to an extent, justified its undertaking. Finally, the discussion considers the various legacies of the expedition, in particular its impact on Native Americans, and the current struggle over who will control the narrative of the expansion of the American Empire. Contents* Geopolitics, Science, and Culture Conflicts, Peter S. Onuf and Jeffrey L. Hantman, University of Virginia* Jefferson’s The Science of Distant Empire, 1786-1811, Alan Taylor, University of California, Davis* Securing Jefferson’s Fluid Plans for the Western Perimeter, Jenry Morsman, University of Virginia* Thomas Jefferson’s Conflicted Legacy in American Archaeology, David Hurst Thomas, American Museum of Natural History* A Nation Imagined, a Nation The Jeffersonian Legacy, Kenneth Prewitt, Columbia University* Oñate’s Histories, Landscapes, and Contested Memories in the Southwest, Douglas Seefeldt, University of Virginia

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I assumed this would be a straight forward historical account of the Lewis & Clark expedition. There is actually not that much about them specificly although there is some overview North American exploration history. I think there is more about Thomas Jeffersons studies of Amerindians than anything else.

The big problem this book has (its a collection of essays by various academic types) is most of it is pro multi-cultural historical revisionism, coupled with the predictable economics were the main motivation for anything white people ever did mantra. A few examples of this wackiness is they make claims like when the American colonists began calling themselves Americans it was their way of showing solidarity with Amerindians. Another claim that is made is that the Boston tea party participants by dressing up as Indians when they dumped the tea made the Amerindian their "symbol of daring, strength, courage and defiance against hopeless odds." The Lewis & Clark expedition is considered a shining example of multi-culturism at work because they dealt with some Amerindian tribes and a black guy helped carry some of the tent poles during the trek. Its sad that academia has come to this. I'm giving it two stars instead of one only because some of the overview history is decent.