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Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809)

Autor/a de The Journals of Lewis and Clark {abridged, 1953}

67+ obres 3,900 Membres 19 Ressenyes 1 preferits

Sobre l'autor

The Lewis and Clark expedition was one of the earliest crossings of the United States. Eager to expand the country, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis, formerly his private secretary, to seek a Northwest passage to the Orient. Lewis and his partner, William Clark, were both seasoned mostra'n més soldiers, expert woodsmen, and boatmen. They both kept journals and so did 4 sergeants and 1 private in the party of 43 men. They started from St. Louis in 1804, heading up to the Missouri River, across the Rockies, and down to the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Columbia River. The Indian woman Sacajawea ("Bird Woman") gave them valuable help on the hazardous journey, which lasted 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days, and cost the U.S. government a total of $38,722.25. Lewis was the better educated of the two captains, and his account has more force, but Clark was a superb observer who wrote in an ingenious phonetic spelling of his own invention. The official edition of the Journals did not appear until 1814, when they were edited in two volumes by Nicholas Biddle and Paul Allen. This text, a paraphrase of the journals, was used in various editions until 1904, when Reuben G. Thwaites edited an eight-volume edition, published in 1904--05. Many recent editions have followed the original text, making the journals available in all of their original freshness. Early in 1960 it was announced in the New York Times that 67 notes written by Clark had been given by Frederick W. Beinecke of New York to the Yale University Library. "The documents, finger-smudged, blotted and blurred with cross-outs, list personal observations previously unknown to historians. . . . The documents, consisting of old letters, envelopes and scraps of paper, were the subject of an unusual legal fight. After the Clark notes were found in an attic in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1952, the United States moved to obtain them. The Government contended the documents were part of the official records of Clark while he served the United States. The Federal Court of Appeals in St. Louis dismissed the suit on Jan. 23, 1958. The court test was closely watched by libraries, museums and the American Philosophical Society. Had the Government been upheld, the custody of similar historical documents would have been jeopardized. . . ." Shortly after the end of the expedition, Lewis was appointed governor of the Territory of Upper Louisiana. When he at last took up his post, he was mysteriously killed---or took his own life---in the lonely wilderness. (Bowker Author Biography) mostra'n menys

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Crèdit de la imatge: Image from Lewis and Clark (1905) by William R. Lighton

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Obres de Meriwether Lewis

The Journals of Lewis and Clark {abridged, 1953} (1953) — Autor — 1,196 exemplars
Far West 2, le grand retour (1993) 11 exemplars
Richard Dillon 1 exemplars

Obres associades

The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places (1991) — Col·laborador — 175 exemplars
American Literature: The Makers and the Making (In Two Volumes) (1973) — Col·laborador, algunes edicions25 exemplars

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Excellent book. One of my few "five stars." The Journals of Lewis and Clark was a journal by explorers who were new to the land, its flora and fauna, and its people. The journey was an epic struggle through heat, blizzards, insects, wolves, grizzly bears and Native Americans. Lewis and Clark tried to "put their arms around" a huge country that is so vast, so diverse that no one can really know it.

They were part of the dream that kindled America and that keeps burning.
 
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JBGUSA | Hi ha 7 ressenyes més | Jan 2, 2023 |
> After writing this imperfect description I again viewed the falls and was so much disgusted with the imperfect idea which it conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen across it and begin again, but then reflected that I could not perhaps succeed better than penning the first impressions of the mind. I wished for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thomson [Rosa was known for his wilderness landscapes; Thomson was the author of a then famous poem called “The Seasons,” which is full of natural description], that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world some just idea of this truly magnificent and sublimely grand object, which has from the commencement of time been concealed from the view of civilized man; but this was fruitless and vain. I most sincerely regretted that I had not brought a camera obscura with me by the assistance of which even I could have hoped to have done better, but alas, this was also out of my reach. I therefore with the assistance of my pen only endeavored to trace some of the stronger features of this scene, by the assistance of which and my recollection, aided by some able pencil, I hope still to give to the world some faint idea of an object which at this moment fills me with such pleasure and astonishment, and which of its kind I will venture to assert is second to but one in the known world [the ‘one’ he refers to is no doubt Niagara Falls, already a famous tourist attraction].

> The next day, the 20th, both Lewis and Clark noted meadow fires that were too large to be accidental; they had been seen, and the Shoshone were warning other members of the tribe that they were a possible Blackfeet raiding party. Clark left his own sign—clothes, linens, paper—to show the Indians that they were white men, not Blackfeet.

> At four p.m. they arrived at the confluence of the two rivers where I had left the note. This note had unfortunately been placed on a green pole which the beaver had cut and carried off together with the note. The possibility of such an occurrence never once occurred to me when I placed it on the green pole
… (més)
 
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breic | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Oct 17, 2022 |
First off, this book has spelling and grammatical errors (well for today they would be errors). Keep in mind this was written in the early 1800s and they were out in wilderness. I’m sure they cared more about surviving the trip than wondering how to spell certain words. The Penguin Classics edition is raw with the writing. I’m not sure there is a corrected version, but it’s not something I’d read. I think the errors make this book more entertaining. It gives you a look how people wrote. Only with today, it makes it a little confusing at times to read and figure out what they are taking about, thankfully there are notes, drawings, and maps.

In 1804, Merriweather Lewis and William Clark set out to what becomes their famed expedition. Along the way, they accompanied with other men and later Sacajawea. Thomas Jefferson wanted a team to go out west to explore new land and wildlife. They named some new locations and discovered new wildlife. All but Charles Floyd made it back; he was the only one to die during the trip. This book doesn’t cover everything obviously, because it’s a firsthand account, but there are neat little facts you can find elsewhere if you are interested.

There are a few reasons I was interested in reading this book. One: When I was in elementary school, I did a report on William Clark that ended up me being really interested in the whole thing, thus me reading other books about the trip. Two: I’m related to one of the member and have the same last name to another (related?). I forget how exactly, but I’m related to Alexander Willard, he was a blacksmith and unfortunately was whipped during the expedition. Then there is Charles Floyd, I mentioned his significance before. Three: The last reason I wanted to read the actual journals was the comic book Manifest Destiny, a fictitious account of the travels, but with monsters like Sasquatch. The original journals have nothing fantastical about them, but I ended up finding them just as exciting. Oddly, the comic book does a good job mimicking how Lewis and Clark described the wildlife.

I think my favorite part about reading this journal was the wildlife. The descriptions aren’t that good at sometimes, but this book makes me feel like I’m exploring with them at times. One thing I learned (or maybe relearned) was how much they contributed with science. I remember learning they discovered some animals and plants, but didn’t really think anything of it until now for some reason. Imagine seeing a grizzly bear for the first time or a herd of buffalo or some other animal you never knew existed. Today, it seems like most animals are discovered, but I hear about new animals at least once a year. I can see why that comic book I mentioned earlier would have them meet Sasquatch. Lewis, Clark, and Jefferson didn’t know what was out there in the great unknown.

I also liked when they talked about other members in the party, mostly the ones I mentioned and Sacagawea. Most people today know her as the woman who pointed her finger and helped them not get lost. I think she deserves more credit. She helped them communicate with other Natives, she told them what to eat and not to eat, and Clark seemed to care about her and her child. I think people forget that she was a mother. She not only did gave birth, but she raised a baby boy during the trip. They had some harsh weather and environments, its impressive any of them made it back alive.

The survival part, to me, was the most impressive thing about this event; this is something I never thought before. These people had to be really fit and healthy to make it back alive. They weren’t just camping for a few days or a week. They were gone a little over two years. They had to survive during harsh weather like hard rain and cold winters. They had to hunt for food and gamble what was edible or not. They didn’t have cellphones or the technology to contact loved ones; we take these things for granted. I’m sure someone could do what Lewis and Clark did today, but I’m not sure I could last as long as they did on their trip.

There some other things I like in this book as well. I liked the opening letter Thomas Jefferson wrote Lewis explaining what he wants them to do on the trip, what he hopes they find, and to record everything in as much detail as possible. There’s a list of all the things they brought giving the price of each item. That part can get boring, but it’s neat if you’re into that kind of thing. There is a list of questions Clark had about the Native Americans, today, this list looks a little weird, but I think it’s important to keep in mind Clark was curious learning about a new culture. I mentioned this before, but this book also includes some illustrations. Not sure if Penguin included them all or not, but they are worth the look.

I think I mentioned everything I wanted to in this review. I can get nerdy about this and the Salem Witch Trial when it comes to American history. This book isn’t the best-written historical document; it’s more something you read if you’re actually interested in the topic. To some people, and I completely understand, this book gets dry at points. Do we really need to know as a reader what the weather was like every day or do we need to know all the numbers and measurements? Not really, but at the same time Lewis and Clark’s journals weren’t written with a bestseller audience in mind. They were writing these for Jefferson and others. A modern reader however might get a good adventure story or an interesting look at early American life and wildlife. Overall, I had fun reading this book.
… (més)
 
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Ghost_Boy | Aug 25, 2022 |
A sometimes interesting but often tedious abridged account. The most interesting aspects for me were the relative ignorance and reliance of the members of the expedition on indigenous peoples for food, shelter and navigation.
 
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sfj2 | Hi ha 7 ressenyes més | Apr 5, 2022 |

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Obres
67
També de
4
Membres
3,900
Popularitat
#6,494
Valoració
4.0
Ressenyes
19
ISBN
121
Llengües
2
Preferit
1

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