The Explorations of William H. Ashley and Jedediah Smith, 1822-1829 [Paperback]

Harrison Clifford Dale (Author), James P. Ronda (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1991

William H. Ashley's expedition up the Missouri River in 1822 met with misfortunes that forced far-reaching changes in the fur-trading operations of the West. His claim to fame as an entrepreneur and explorer is clear in The Explorations of William H. Ashley and Jedediah Smith. Just as vivid is the story of the Bible-quoting Jedediah Smith, a member of Ashley's original expedition, who branched off into little-known regions, becoming the first American to reach California by an overland route.

In his introduction, James P. Ronda supplies the historical context for their explorations. A professor of history at the University of Tulsa, he is the author of Lewis and Clark among the Indians (1984) and Astoria and Empire (1990).

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803265913
• ISBN-13: 978-0803265912
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,091,351 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two giants of the fur trade, February 8, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Explorations of William H. Ashley and Jedediah Smith, 1822-1829 (Paperback)

This is a major source book of major materials relating to William Ashley and Jedediah Smith and their explorations in the West in the 1820s. Contained are Ashley's narrative of his 1824-25 expedition to the Green River via the South Platte (the first to take the south branch) and his return on the Big Horn River to the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers; Smith's short narrative of his exploring journey to California (1826-28) (his full journal of his trip remained lost to history until 1967 when it came to light; it's also published by Bison Books and should be read in conjunction with this book; see my review of that book for a fuller account of this journey); and two fragmentary journals kept by Harrison G. Rogers, who was with Smith as company clerk, and subsequently killed along with 13 others when the party was attacked by Umpqua Indians in southwestern Oregon (only Smith and three others escaped the massacre).

In addition to this original material, editor Harrison Dale supplies full biographical accounts of both Ashley and Smith, and a thorough review of the fur trade in the west up to 1822. His notes are detailed and complete, among the best to be found in any western book, and he gives a comprehensive annotated bibliography as well. The index is also first-rate and easy to consult for research purposes. This is one of the half-dozen must-read/have books dealing with the early trans-Missouri fur-trade period. Superb history.