Personal Memoirs of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers

"Personal Memoirs of a Residence of Thirty Years with the Indian Tribes on the American Frontiers" by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft is a historical record that captures the author's three-decade journey living among Native American tribes and exploring the American West, from 1812 to 1842. It begins with Schoolcraft's departure from New York, driven by a desire to explore and observe the frontier. The memoir reveals his early interactions with Indigenous peoples and the cultural challenges he faced as he learned about their way of life. The author shares his observations of the mass movement of people and trade in the Mississippi Valley in 1818, influenced by the War of 1812 and subsequent economic problems. It presents a narrative of the relationship between Native American cultures and the American desire to expand, setting the stage for more detailed stories of the interactions between them.