A Summer in the Wilderness embracing a canoe voyage up the Mississippi and around Lake Superior

"A Summer in the Wilderness" by Charles Lanman is a 19th-century travel story about a canoe trip up the Mississippi River and around Lake Superior, where the author shows the natural beauty and culture of the American frontier. The narrative captures the variety of wilderness experiences in America, meetings with Native American tribes, and thoughts on the history of these areas. It starts in Saint Louis, called the "River Queen," showing its importance as a starting point for trips into the Upper Mississippi's wild areas. Lanman describes the city's busy docks and different people getting ready for wilderness trips. He thinks about the contrast between the city's growth and the original Native American people, symbolizing both the energy and the sadness of American history as the story prepares the reader for deeper exploration.