The New York Society Library presents
Explorers of the American West: a lecture series
Thursdays, October 2, 9, and 16, 6:00 p.m.

October 2: Robert McCracken Peck

“To Acquire What Knowledge You Can…”: The Scientific Contributions of Lewis and Clark
The cartographical, political and commercial achievements of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are well known, but their expedition has never been properly credited for its many important scientific discoveries. Robert Peck, a naturalist and historian at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, will fill this gap using slides of many of their specimens and early reports. He is most recently the author of “Land of the Eagle: A Natural History of North America.”

October 9: Laton McCartney

“In the Midst of the Principle Chain”: Robert Stuart and the Discovery of the Oregon Trail
Lewis and Clark turned America’s eyes to the expanse of the West, but it was fur trader Robert Stuart who opened the door to Manifest Destiny with his discovery of the only direct passage through the Rocky Mountains. Laton McCartney, a journalist and author of the upcoming “Across the Great Divide,” is a descendant of Stuart and draws upon Stuart’s journals and personal papers to tell a gripping story of adventure.

October 16: Tom Chaffin

“All Your Campfires Have Become Cities”: John C. Frémont, the Pathfinder Explorer, businessman, army officer, politician, and abolitionist, John C. Frémont was a symbol of the frontier spirit. Tom Chaffin is the author of “Pathfinder: John Charles Frémont and the Course of American Empire,” which Publishers Weekly calls “a deeply nuanced portrait of a man of many parts.” This lecture will look at Frémont’s exploration and his writings, which compelled America to re-imagine the West.

The Members’ Room of The New York Society Library
53 East 79th Street (east of Madison Avenue)
$10 per session for members and nonmembers; come to any or all sessions.
Registration is required. Call (below) or e-mail events@nysoclib.org. Space is limited.