A New Look at One of America's Most Famous Adventures
Summary
Historian Craig Fairman discusses his new book, *This Vast Enterprise*, which reimagines the Lewis and Clark expedition as an ensemble story featuring enslaved men, working-class soldiers, and Indigenous leaders. The episode explores the tension between Jefferson’s respect for Native sovereignty and his imperial ambitions for westward expansion, while also examining the complex personal dynamics between Lewis, Clark, and York. Fairman highlights how the expedition functioned as early American foreign policy, using science, commerce, and diplomacy to claim territory, and offers a more nuance…
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