If you want a good introduction to famous Revolutionary War heroes, prominent Statesmen, influential business leaders, and other pillars of the community, as seen in a completely different light; from a totally fresh perspective, and a magnificently intensified point of view, look no further than the chronological account of the tumultuous lives of the rugged woodsmen who made their homes in the densely forested region of the Northwest Territory, as it certainly was wooded and occasionally flooded, in the well-documented and informative historical account of, "The Pioneers," by David McCullough, published in 2019. You'll be utterly confounded, dismayed, astounded, and mesmerized learning what happened to the settlers living along the Ohio River from 1787-1863, a critically important era for a great many new arrivals to the American heartland.
After the initial reading, you may be tempted to rush out excitedly, proclaim from the rooftops, or exclaim to the first person you meet,
"I must have missed that vital chapter in American history."
Once upon a time, I remember having read portions of the Oklahoma state history book our teacher handed out in Civics class. It may not have been the same history book eighth graders in Ohio had to read, but similar.
"What is the difference between history and historical fiction?" you may wonder, abruptly changing the subject.
You know you're reading history when the facts you receive come at you with deadly accurate dates specifying day, month, and four-digit year, along with pertinent, or otherwise relevant information gleaned from generally accepted, reliable sources: heavy, hard-bound books; crisply printed front-page newspaper articles; the uniformly thick, worn, and torn journals usually found on the periodicals shelf of the public library; miscellaneous official or formal correspondence; and the well-documented legal briefs transformed into micro-fiche. You'll get a sense of having been at the archeological dig-site yourself, when you're through researching; miraculously transported to where and when the momentous or cataclysmic events had actually taken place.
"As if you owned an electronic GPS device with geographical coordinates and a time-machine."
Historical fiction, on the other hand, you soon discover, involves greater speculation as to what might have been, what should have happened, or what someone truly wishes would have happened. Essentially, the overriding fictional part of the work is whatever the writer fantasizes, dreams, or drums up from his vivid and capricious, fertile imagination. So, basically, the narrative doesn't have to be truthful, accurate, or factual at all.
Nonetheless, "The Pioneers" is largely historical. It appears to be a surprisingly open-minded, frank, honest, and factual account of what transpired during the lifetime of settlers living in Ohio country during the specified time interval. I was greatly impressed with and immensely appreciated the keen insights provided by the author into the roles played and contributions made by the Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Putnam, Cutler, Owen, St. Clair, Sargent, Tyler, Woodbridge, Nye, Butler, Little-Turtle, Bluejacket, Barker, Devol, Chapman, Burr, Blennerhassett, Hildreth, Fulton, Roosevelt, Hull, and Perry families, among many others. Hence, I feel compelled to freely admit without reservation that the book covers a considerable amount of well-organized, collated and correlated, cherry-picked Americana from so many more Ohio state archives, historical societies, and university library sources than I had anticipated. In other words, the author has performed a ton of erudite, scholarly research and in-depth analysis, which resulted in his discovering significant biographical and obituary information, representing rare and precious moments from the past.
"Like a collection of gemstones."
"National treasure."
You won't find much in the way of malicious gossip or vicious rumors in the book, however. The people about whom the author wrote were obviously educated, righteous, respectable, pragmatic, and practical in their dealings. They were model citizens who spoke plain English and didn't mince words. They'd stick to the issues and bring out the big guns only when necessary. If there were any monsters under the bed, they'd keep them well hidden, I believe.
"Has anyone seen Sasquatch lately?"
"Case in point."
Still, the book may be considered subject to much speculation about notable events of the day; at least, in my mind. I had the clear and distinct image of deciduous trees growing so gigantically big and tall in Ohio, that local inhabitants opted to carve out the center of the trunk and tunnel right through to the other side, rather than go around. Early ship traffic on the Ohio River moved in only one direction, due to rapid currents, ripples, and waterfalls: downstream. Aaron Burr wanted to invade Mexico and was actively seeking local volunteers. While France was forced to sell land west of the Mississippi River in secret negotiations, to pay its enormous war debt; England was hell-bent on using gun-boat diplomacy, in an attempt to further its own aims and ambitions in the national interest. The politics of newly elected President Thomas Jefferson differed so markedly and dramatically from that of his predecessors, that his policies adversely affected the otherwise smooth operation of the Ohio Legislature on key issues. Passage over the rugged Allegheny Mountain range between communities along the Ohio River and the New England seacoast was so slow, cumbersome, exasperating and overwhelming as to discourage or permanently prohibit travel and curtail the sending of a great deal of personal correspondence.
"Why didn't they just take the scenic route?" you wonder.
Then, I remembered the speed limit for the steepest section of curvy, winding, paved road known as Highway 50 in West Virginia, on which I drove in the autumn of 1979, taking the most direct route from the Midwest to Washington, D.C. on business. Driving a tan, 1964 Chrysler New Yorker in pristine condition, having had only 33,000 miles on it, at the time when I bought it pre-owned from a farmer in Champaign, Illinois, who stored the car in his barn, I didn't dare drive faster than the posted 15 mph limit, having taken particular notice of the run-away truck safety-ramp, veering off sharply from the main thoroughfare. The weather looked like snow. Deciding to stop at the hamburger stand ideally situated on the summit of the mountain peak for a well-deserved breather and lunch, I requested a bottle of Birch Beer and a charcoal-grilled, double-sized hamburger; hungry as I was, and glad to receive the specified refreshments from the proprietor.
Most disheartening, though, you learn that the locals weren't aware there was a war going on until after it was mostly over, dispensed with, and all but forgotten. Chagrined, you make a startling conjecture:
"What our founding fathers achieved for posterity, their forbears did for prosperity."
"All is not lost," I recollect, and re-connect with my immediate surroundings.
"Your exceptionally clamorous, rowdy, and rambunctious friends just dropped by. They want to go noodling for catfish on Flatbush Creek. Also, the delightfully charming and pleasingly curvaceous girlfriend called. She wants to have a go at it, too. Aren't you over her yet?"
"All aboard for the Mississippi Queen!"
Later that day:
"Where did everybody go?" asked Marie, perplexed, looking around at the recently vacated premises.
"They all left in a hurry, when one of the boys thought he heard someone start up a chainsaw," said her mother, Theresa.
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Liked the Local History, Low on Universal Vision
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019
Trackless wilderness? Hardly. This book would have benefited from a full capture of the complex web of native and settler interactions and relationships in a very much tracked wilderness. I would give it 4 stars for general interest (my family settled Ohio, both southeast and the Western Reserve of Connecticut) but sadly no stars because the natives are given very little relevance in the saga.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019
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Top reviews from other countries
Boston Bill
Sadly below par
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 10, 2019Amazon Customer
Excellent book on a historical subject that is often overlooked
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 14, 2019
R. L. D. Plager
Another great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 5, 2019Dr N A Osborne
Terrible quality book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 2, 2019
