James P. Ronda, H.G. Barnard Professor in Western History at the University of Tulsa, retells this compelling part of the American story by contrasting the expectations of Thomas Jefferson had for the expedition with what Captains Clark and Lewis actually experienced during their journey.
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Using the letters of Jefferson and the journals of Lewis and Clark, Ronda takes readers on a dual journey exploring the drama of the expedition from the perspectives of Jefferson in the East and Lewis and Clark out West. Added to this conflicting scheme is the presence of the Native Americans encountered by Lewis and Clark, whose world and perspective could not be understood in either Jefferson's vision for the trip or in Lewis and Clark's understanding of their voyage.
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