Bob Drury, co-author of "Throne of Grace," brings to life the thrilling expeditions of Jedediah Smith, a pivotal yet often overlooked figure in American history. The discussion reveals Smith's legendary journeys through hostile territories, his crucial role in the fur trade, and the fierce competition between American and British traders. Drury also explores the impact of beaver trapping on westward expansion and the complex relationships between trappers and Native Americans, painting a vivid picture of adventure and conflict in the early 19th century.
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insights INSIGHT
Lewis and Clark's Influence
The Lewis and Clark expedition sparked a desire for adventure in young men.
This led them to join trapping companies, venturing into the West.
insights INSIGHT
Horses and Warfare
The introduction of horses transformed Native American warfare in the West.
Tribes became more mobile and fought over territory, particularly for buffalo hunting grounds.
insights INSIGHT
Beaver Fur and Expansion
Beaver fur was highly valued for its waterproof qualities, driving demand in Europe.
The North American mountains became the last major source, fueling westward expansion.
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Throne of Grace tells the gripping story of Jedediah Smith, a legendary mountain man who explored vast territories across the American West. The book delves into the politics and conflicts of the era, including the fur trade and interactions with Native American tribes. It is part of a broader narrative about the expansion of the United States and the birth of Manifest Destiny.
Plenty of famous explorers and frontiersmen emerged from America's periods of expansion and exploration, and today the likes of Daniel Boone, Kit Carson, and Davy Crockett remain household names.
You're probably not familiar, but should be, with the name of another prominent pioneer: Jedediah Smith. Smith was a hunter, trapper, writer, cartographer, mountain man, and explorer who notched a lot of firsts: He was the first to lead a documented exploration from the Salt Lake frontier to the Colorado River and was part of the first parties of U.S. citizens to cross the Mojave Desert, the Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin Desert. Having survived three attacks by Native Americans and one mauling by a grizzly bear, Smith's explorations became resources for those who followed after and led to the use of the South Pass as the dominant route across the Continental Divide for pioneers on the Oregon Trail.
In the new book he co-authored, Throne of Grace: A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West, my guest, Bob Drury, uses the oft-forgotten Smith as a guide to an oft-forgotten period in American history. Today on the show, Bob paints a picture of a volatile American landscape in which trappers and Native Americans collided and clashed in the early decades of the 19th century. We discuss how the Lewis and Clark expedition created a lust for adventure among young men, how the humble beaver played an outsized role in settling the Western frontier, and how warfare changed amongst Native American tribes with the introduction of the horse. Along the way, Bob shows us how the life of Jed Smith intersected with all these historic trends and shares the epic exploits that he and other mountain men took part in while exploring and mapping the American West.
The Art of Manliness 
