ferson's instructions to lewis was to send to washington the chiefs of tribes. they encountered seven chiefs. chiefs were greeted in washington by jefferson on january four, 1806. his indians seen here was delivered by him. that day and signed by him. it is one of the most memorable western documents. it is easy to read it cynically but think jefferson was being hopeful yet paternalistic. it was his version of his american dream. we all know that within two american nightmare. jefferson addressed my friends and. we are now your fathers. i. the desire of becoming a with you. all my children. be on theand you are naming them with us as we have done those on side of

that river in the friendship. i wish to learn what we could to benefit them, furnishing them the necessary as theyant in exchange for their furs. i sent beloved cat man captain lewis to get acquainted with all the indian us what what way could be useful to them. in establishing a we to make no profit. we shall ask what everything costs us and give you for your furs. whatever we can get for them. if you will cease make war on one another. if will live in friendship with all mankind, you time in providing food and clothing for yourselves and your families. your men will not be destroyed in war. and your women and children lie down to sleep in their cabins without fear. i have given this advice to all your red brethren on this side

of the mississippi. they are increase in their numbers, are learning to close and as. we do. we are peaceable and just. i have now opened my to you. let my words into your heart and never be forgot. if ever bad spirits should raise up clouds between friends and explain to each other what misrepresented. the clouds will fly away like the morn in the sun of friendship appear and shine forever bright and clear between the next year, william clark and now indian for louisiana. he reached out to the lakota chief who he had described it,ckexpedition northward journey. but now they were all and he must suchi would have an improved attitude. and in this document he makes

himrepresent attitude of the american government in the hope that everything will get smoothed out for people wis and enterprises was a of lewis and afterexpedition, a boston company the northwest trading cny organize to set up a trading post in palmer settlement at the mouth of the columbia where lewis and clark had wintered th stated hope was to create a free and extensive trade in pals pearlil which could be carried from the northwest coalewis and clark encouraged many explorers who now had knowledge of cartography of the west. none was more extraordinary than jedediah. this was unreal. when you look what he did. he was the first person white

man to reach california by an oval and the first to cross the mojave desert to explore and cross the sierras and travel from california to oregon by land and so he created a map of the west that accurate? he represents the hope of the hopes of a mountain man trader and the expectation of survival. s the only privately owned letter of eight that have survived, quote, i've been und the necessity of going forward a partnership amounting to part of my capital. but she'll still haveight or perhaps $10,000, which could not could be not be invested any way to please me. that's a lot of money in days, incidentally. we've been to gentlemen to take our furs forward to philadelphia. it is tell you that i am much more

and my element when conversing with the unseen civilized man or setting my beaver traps than in writing letters. his hope of survival ran out next year, and he on. the santa fe trail. this letter was one of my earlpurchasers, which was always financial. be very challenging for me frontiersman, tennessee, who was exploits were chronicled. davy crockett almanac became a congressman from his state and with his appearance and rough and tumble manners became the target of hishe wrote, i have enemies who would take much pleasure in magnifying plain city of i've never enjoyed the advantages which many have abused. i have never prostituted. the humbledvantages i do

enjoy. just as davy crockett went to died at the alamo sam houston felt the toll of escaping to the west. in 1829, he was governor of tennessee, but he decided to resign the governorship and return his life as a trader with thein 1831, he discussed his life in intimate detail, summed up in a few thoughts. i am done with goods, but not with good things. i hope to out clothes. my concern mther theater. nor if it were possible for me to enjoy all the luxuries in life could i i must be. or i would sink the horrible gulf of dissipate sin and debauchery. for tellin he continues the things done by me shall be directed to what i most

devoutlyl be my country's glory and good. his future was in texas in this brother in 1833. he writes, i am now a resident of another government. knock at door cheese texas. you want to know what the devil am i doing in texas? he goes on to explain about creating a legal career. he's bought 150,000 acres of land and writes texas is the finest p globe that has ever blessed my in. i put my name tohouston's involvement in texas rapidly rose. he led the texas army in defeating santa ana had killed all the americans the alamo and was elected the first president of the texas.

steven austin and developed the texas colony. he father in 1821. and by the time of this in 1832, he had thousand maintain the prosperity from the liberal colony policy and return for obeying the laws and, becoming loyal mexican citizens. this letter was written as it was becoming increased certainly difficult for his colonists accept. his cautious. his hope for future is clearly expressed. quote the cynthia kierner has made no disturbance in texas and everything here is peace quiet and i think will so. we are very imposed in this remote corner the nation to be misled or deceived by false rumors and reports. austin's hope friendship

dependance led to his imprisonment, but he out in 1835 and then defeated by houston for thethe western settlement was was by people's hope. but one act of hope stands out for me. nathaniel wyeth created with making the oregon trail successful, was a boston went west in 1830 to the following year. he attended the rendezvous of mt., an indians and supplies this was like a western fair. everybody, thousands of people came together and suppliers came from st louis to trade goods indians and with the fur traders and had all kinds of contests. and it was was basically for a couple of weeks. he invested $3,000 and signed a

contract to supply all the trade goods for the following year. but when he showed up, he crossed. the rocky mountain fur company had bought the supply from someone else a few days. here he is in the middle and no place, basically in wyoming. he's got all these trade goods. so he decided to organize a fort on an indian trail and because he future would be coming west and they would be able to resupply and his fort fort hall and now idaho it was estimated 270,000 immigrant came through fort and got resupplied. and there's a blacksmith to fix broken and so on. this is a wyeth letter that i personally have thought of to raise my own hopes. flying across the

country from boston and to the west coast. while i impatiently check onow be, i recall wyeth from fort vancouver near oregon january. 16th 1833 quote i am about commencing my return and home to boston. and if i am not very unfortunate in that i shall arrive in october ten months later. and i am impatient with 5 hours. so puts it in perspective. francesco. paolo is a california explorer, jesuit missionary, was one of the earliest historians of california in this journal. hes expedited mission from monterey to, san francisco bay. observations of the terrain suitable ity of various places for the established shipment and missions are.

important but. what really about this were the descriptionse the mouth that is like a narrow channel where the golden gate bridge is, where our greatest jury of san francisco enters the bay of promontory. its channel or strait is about half a league from east to west. we cannot tell if it has a smooth bottom for scale landings. john sutter, who was an extremely entrepreneur, california pioneer, who came from switzerland. goldas discod sawmill on the american river. but he had arrived ten years earlier and managed togranted 50,000 acres in what basically sacramento. he was he raised he built his sawmill.

and notably he built a fort that helped immigrants coming in to california, and which exists and this lengthy letter in. 43, you really get an idea of the scale of what people these days could do. my grain fields are very well laid out with european exactness. there is enough land for a thousand acres of potato, corn, peas and radishes, as he mentions. is new venture with is quote steam still, which willroduce brandy. he complains of the poachers of his cattle but expresses challenges quote, i can assure that my affairs go better. i will be able to pay my debts. as for me, i neglect nothing. i do my best and i hard. we sleep.

while sardar was all of his different businesses, the political situation was rapidly developing. in 1846, the bear flag revolt, led by fremont, broke california away from mexico. a later, the rebellion took another turn and a proclamatsued. the california was part of the united states. this was published two days before the proclamation. it's published in california. new issue number one value and one it could not have been more hopeful for califor we we shall maintain and tire and other severance of all political connection with mexico. we shall maintain freedom speech and the press. we shall bring the means of a good, practical education to child in california. we shall urge the immediate

establishment of a well organized government. territorial of california to the united. we shall for california for all interests, social, simple, and religious, encouraging everything that promotes these resisting, everything that can them h california governor right now. it it'sng that 1846 and to have those those views at the time i think was very impressive. for john fremont, who led the famous expedition into, the rocky mountains put him south into the center of california's revolt and managed to get appointed governor. that is the in this document is as the governor of california

california, six days after california was declared, washington sent ththere choice and he refused vacate the governorship and was of glory he temporarily went down the drain. but not missing a beat. this is san francisco getting laid out in 1847 and this is the assignment of lot 213 in san francisco. i could not figure out where 213 was. it be interesting if it was on california's. the hopes of the more men's were focused on religious freedom and personal safety and they hoped to use entrepreneurs field skil goals. their leader and prophet joseph

smith was murdered in 1844 and it was apparent couldn't stay in illinois. brigham young smith's successor wrote this lengthy to the governor of alabama pleading their hope to be allowed to settle their quote, separate suffer us in behalf of aand long people to proper. a few suggestions for. your serious consideration in hope of a friendly. it is not our present design to detail multipliedd aggravate that wrongs we have received in the midst of the nation that gave us birth. but he does exactly continues. will it be too much, for us to ask for you to convene a special session of your state and furnish us a silent? or will you express your views concerning what is called measure of colonizing the latter saints in oregon or

some other remote place which the hand of oppression shall not crush every noble and distinguish patriotic feeling. brigham young asked the states who wrote the same letter to other places, and i have the new hampshire one. and in new governor saved his response to brigham young that there was no possibility possibility, two years after trying to relocate someplace. brighamm winter quarters in which omaha that everything organized for his great migration and quote, i expect start for the mountains. it is necessary for a pioneer company to be on the way as early as possible to ensure the op the love me as i love them they will not long behind.

like a father with family of children around me in winter storm and i am looking with calmness, confidence and to break and the sun to shine so that i can run out and plant and snow. we say children come home. we h done. we could and are satisfied. it will be all right. and there for sure our at is necessary be done when the strength of his children fails. this is what was driving the country crazy. in 1849, whe the reached settled areas, the plaster gold in this pan is actually from rush. the small nuggets were found in the original area of sutter's. these nug gold are mixed with remnants of the wooden box. it was originally in were

shipped aboard the ss central america, which sank off of north carolina in an 1857. recovered in 1986 from 8000 feet. the original gold pan has a better provenance. it came from the klondike gold rush, which recovered from a cabin on bonanza creek in the it is one of the artifacts i personally collected. the cabin. california gold rush actually began january 48 when james marshall saw the glint of gold sutter's mill. sutter, writing from retirement after he lost everything. squatters. quote the account of the great discovery is quitere special where

it states the first gold was picked up by little daughter of marshall and carried to her father. he never had a rwhelmed all of the numbers of people was. the gold rush. people from every walk of life. were part of the hysteria. the gold that caused of people to go west and april 1849, young physician charles boyle left honly few months after getting his medical degree to go to california, he joined on a ship their official physician and wrote this journal, quote, it is nonecessary to relate all the causes which induce me to leave home on a long and dangerous journey. suffice to say that the constant poverty which has hitherto confined my powers and limited my field of action feel to make one

might effort to descend from the detested sin of being poor. and here i am thus, far on my way to california. he was a successful physician in california, but he never found any gold. but many of the prospectors express expectations. but not this guy writing in from independence at the point where you started i many difficulties in dangers which we have to encounter before we can expect to. see the promised land of have 2000 miles from this to califor u 700 across the prairie. will make the biggest danger will be the indians.

it's. this is the first of three brothers to head to the gulf. this guy had enormous confidence. and in the road while he was on the oregon trail, a man who is laziness had better change it for most persevering industry before he starts as a lazy man could not himself more out of his element than by starting on a trip this kind. entire thoughts on california and its gold and our which is all we have from home six weeks and traveled nearly 600 miles is scarcely n. ocean was the best way to san francisco cisco. andrew dickens and left new york

in. april 1849 and the passengers organized themselves into association, which interests me quite a lot the way these people would came together. theye are going to get along, what kind of rules that are going to be. he also listed the passengwhat they did. and it's very interesting because the passengers raised ranged from apr abindings here. there was also a decartist, daguerreotype photographs that only been around for ten years, but they were very during the gold r home pictures themselves, usually with gardens. it's amazing how men do that. i mean, they've got a gun in their belt. they're holding a gun. anyhow, there weren't any women around. maybe many won't go off into

their. this journal was written by a guy named brush on board the trescott. in 1849. this there's nothing else. and michael section quite like this he talks about the food every day gives a really good sense of you know four months you're sailing around cape horn and they had a tough time going around cape horn. they lost two crewmen overboard and they went into a chilly chilean port writes that he to shore the inhabitants here are very indecent. every house you pass you can see a number of young ladies, which are very good looking in all saying, come in, come in. california. i went into ever saw. they appear to be perfectly honest and loving. they this ship took on supplies and also two young girls of

accommodation for the captain's own use. we actually spent so much time to makas transcribed correctly. the girls referred to as models art entertain passengers and crew by bathing on deck. and then on june 15th, the no pleasant and very warm. bu evening a small touch of the model artists in the cabin among the ladies and gentlemen lights blown up. then the cta shirt. and i the note here it seems that the captain's hopes wherealized. but thehadidn't go to the gold fields. he went to fort vancouver and he started a dictionary of the chinook l rare and a lot more interested in the indians than i would have expected.

powers left from eastport maine, in 1849 and the day the beginning of this, he wrote never was a cruise more cruise thus far bound on a voyage of this length with the uncertainty of a continuation in of health or bettering our worldly condition. of february, they were within sight of cape horn at the tip of south america loaded their deck and in recognition of their fire to the legendary blowing from the pacific immediately, gripped them with perilous and they headed for the protection of the east side of an island six miles away for the next eight days. they were stuck there. at one point

to be broken up on. the rocks. the fantasy of instant wealth swept the country. jim laden wrote to friends before starting on my and romantic journey the is inexhaustible. tom pierce wrote it from nois. as he left for the promised land. we think the prospect is good for making money fast and hope we shall be able to fetch enough to come home and buy a good farm. in a letter to his wife upon arriving in san francisco another one wrote, gold is just as abundant was reported. i shall make a fortune here. turning hato would an increasingly common subject, he continues. this is our last separation. no or honor shall ever again separate.

robert french wrote to his parents, insight. the 27 pounds lump of gold you heard of was in these diggings. there is gold here? lots of it. it. if a man lucky, he can find it. we've been very well. but live we are not discouraged going back to the irrepressible gamble family who we saw on the trail, the first letter that the son writes when he gets to california is there's just so money and there's just so much ar i find any. but i'm not going to come home until i have 25 or $30,00 later had really set in and he writes to his father saying, don't come. it's a fool's errand. many of the 49% daguerreotype photographs like to their family. i actually had trouble trying to find one without holding guns.

but there were there was basically the way it went in the gold fields was everybody wantedthis hope. but then a year later wanted to go home. e letter that stands out. this is in june, 1850. quote, you write, you do not re of gold than i do of you. for i would not go to california. i would not swap you for your heft in gold. that kind of b and i unusual compliment and towns, 48 delegates met in monterey to establish the constitution. california, this first newspaper of understanding, compromise and. hope for the future of californiapower is

inherent in the people and that government is instituted for the protection, security and benefit of the people. while it is believed no power has been given, which is not thus essentially. the individual rights as well as public liberty, are amply secured by the people in a spirit of mutual concession for the public good. the peace, happiness and prosper parity of the whole people. individual opinions were freely surrendered to the will of the majority. when every citizen of california sh himself in life liberty and property, all will unite. find a guiding light to people groping through the of religious superstition or political fanaticism. the price ofvigilance. communication. communications, this new state. and the main part of the country

achieved a milestone and with the first transcontinental stage line president buchanan wrote this tribute issued on the news of the first oval in mail arrive from san francisco 23 days and 4 hours was the time for a person or communication. mail service was cut to ten days with the pony express as seen here with the wonderful pony express stamp added. but after 18 months, the pon into romantic history as the telegraph operational. and this was contract between the builder of the telegraph which was private in the united states which paid $40,000 for priority.

the last remaining thing for the american west was thed. and this is leland stand offered certificate that he had completed the first 92 miles from sacramento across the mountains and was entitled to the payment. this photograph is in the collection. it was taken by the official photographer of the union railroad because i thought it signified so much the railroad is is out therein but to get to the rail head. they still need wagons and it's kind of an interesting to÷ me. relic seemingly limitlesseepa indians. and while my western collection ends basically at that point the one thing i saw just was so full of hope an auctiong in.ow, it's

an item of bill now. it's not a covere've got the gold and and the whole thing. and i thought it really symbolized his the american spirit of always trying to do better. so that concludes tour through my own disco collection really represented in terms of my basic concerns in life and i really enjoyed my so much more and enjoyed pulling all stuff out and lookit things telegraph document? i mean what does that have to do with that? it was hope, it was the future. it thead really changed. so i just urge people to think more deeply about the there could be a lot of hidden things that you really can amore.

we have a few minutes for questions. if you have any. to go off on a different tangent. thank you. remember the c-span is is. i mean, is nothing controversial. i turned c-span down when. i did the talk about my personal. i wanted to engage people on a personal level. so nothing was recorded that but i don't see what people collect is very controversial. you any quest sir. this is really a comment that all of these things you're showing us made me think of. was stegner or angle repose. and then you think of. guthrie so in a sense, we read

in the reading group through his a wonderful of the sort of experience which no, i very much appreciate what you've shown. thank you. thank you. it really was the spirit of america. i mean, everybody canebate, you know, whether that still exists or in when i wrote the books. i didn't really know what the current american dream is. but i over that. i think that i said to someone at lunch today that malcolm, who was a big collector in this field, he once did editorial and he listed everything that everybody said was bad about america. and then in large it said that why everybody wants to move here

and it was a really good point. there are a lot of problems in the country. but it is a land of of imagined opportunity you. they just a quick general can wonderful talk but is there a general guess about how much gold came from california. the from i don't from the gold rush iif. i know it was a huge amount i mean on the ss california. the world and it was just about it was a ship 1856 whatever i said. i mean, there was an enormous amount of gold bullion. a mint was setsan francisco, two men coin ins from the gold rush. it really what i've always

wondered, though with all of this is what they held good as gold. it but it's just that everybody agrees that gold is valuable just like bitcoins. well, yeah he make. maybe you can make jewelry out them. maybe that's what they'll end with. i a little bit of a technical question. you mentioned earlier about this fellow. entii'ed this fellow who assembled an in an dictionary. how do youlanguage did they have a written language. oh, i think phonetically the transliterated. yeah. yeahhen people have that interest. i had commented in a previous talk here about john roger williams and we bought a roger williams dictionary and ex and

there were so few people who cared to pantion. i a way they were savage was really iadmirable for that guy. that was a very that's a very confusing journal the about the with the captain and what went on on the boat i met. i a lot of journals and diaries nobody else and a trip like that that wrote about now they may have in their hopes have had a journey like that, but not in their reality. i can't. congratulations. thank. i've known ken, like forever.i'm not going to touch the colonialism. the killing of people were already there and so forth. just say, you know, anybody who did this had to think it has to be better than what i mean

right now it's just so i'm sort of flipping the hope, the complete misery of so of the throughout american history or history in general life is tough. people are they i mean they, you know, i, i was so glad get out of the war field. i mean, you know, you deal with world war two al started in world war two because i was fast and hated with the way good people were motivated in england to fight ains hitler and the propaganda and how peoplen they and all the different nationalities mixed and everybody was much closer to having immigrated or their parents had ended deal. you had to deal with the bad guys and the nazis in the kinds things that are particularly upsetting these days. and when you go back toays fighting

what i said about, you know, who who who owns louisa hannah? well, it keeps changing hands of european wars. and you and in the united states and it's a it's a wonderful hopebut and one thing you can do when, the natives were friends with the united states. they they the indians did fight one another. and but they but i don'tdecided that the indians were just all peaceful and fantastic. but the way were the problem. we the they i've gotten involved with the indians situation in wyoming because i'm involved with the of the mountain man, which is in pinedale and it's in the middle of no place. they have gas under the town which so they could build this museum and and and do a good job

and they had a problem they thought with the with the sioux over new expansion. they asked my advice problem and they said they want the black hills back. i said, give it to them, you know, first of all, you don't have them and and the indians were just pushed off of. it's a terrible they were treate horribly. they were treating each other pretty badly. and you know, the sioux they weren't the first nation to be in wyoming. they those indians out because the buffalo it i don't know if you try to figure out about the fairness in life and it isn't fair. thank you very much. i was justhad considered the fashion there was for the gold rush.

that is levi's, and the denim industry, because that would seem to. and i wondered if any of your letters mention that. no, but it is a big deal. i'm going for the first time to a western conference, las vegas tomorrow, and i've never gone to alers with western now artifacts for sale and in the auction t levi's know with all these dates and they get dated apparently from the buttons on the and i have been looking at the prices levi's people p but. the people ask me well what do you think you're going to find at this show? i have no space anything. deliberately i mean, it's interesting you ask about the levi's. it was a big deal.

and terry bellinger t long most of you longtime members, terry bellinger, he told me this, i mean, how in the world terry zippers were invented because people during the gold rush were standing around and they had metal on their flies they up. but by the fire. so they wanted to get rid of the metal buttons and now, i don't know whether true, but it's very amusing, but it's a very good, terrible bellinger story. ken. ken thank you. that's a great clothing, i think. i don't think you can beat that after. thank youand ank you for agreeing to do for a second time. and we will tempt you back.

we are thrilled to welcome acclaimed senior correspondent for time