Two Eras of Indians and White Men

Indian and White's relationship was altered suddenly and drastically.  Prior to 1841 represents one era, dominated by independent Indian nations and white traders existing fairly well together...both sides seemed to tolerate each other's business.  After 1841 the traders were the minority and their influence was smaller.

Settlers arrived along with the military surveyors. These new people had no use for the Indian, they were seen as obstacles to be controlled or eliminated.  The coming of the white settler had an enormous impact on tribal customs and a disruptive effect on the game population which provided food for the Indian people.  Era 2  began - white man as the enemy.

As game became more scarce, Indians became more hostile.  Their hunting grounds changed and became less productive, so tribes had to travel further into other tribal territories.  All this further weakened and demoralized tribal society.  More numerous and powerful white people invaded Indian culture militarily, economically and culturally. 

By 1842 Indian way of life was unsupportable and irreversible.

Like most major blunders in American history, it is always easy to look back and see that what happened was wrong.  Most people today can see the errors of the US government, the military, and the white settlers where the Indian is concerned.  We just can't go back and do it over again the right way...

Torn to Pieces by Canyons

In 1840 Walker went southwest on the northern banks of the Colorado River, traveling from Sevier Lake to the Virgin River, becoming the first white to make the crossing of the Utah/Nevada desert.

Walker later recalled that part of the country as "torn all to pieces with canyons".  He could never be talked into going back.  Walker and his party were the first Americans to see the upper Virgin and a series of falls and side canyons which in contrast to the desert they had just crossed, was "grand beyond description".

The expedition continued down the Virgin River, riding through country now deep below the surface of Lake Mead to where it junctioned with the Colorado, then across the Mojave, entering California in late fall of 1840s.  417 pounds of beaver pelts made a $1200 in Los Angeles  - a good living for that year.

Next time...Brother Joel joins his brother....

Eureka!

Leonard's journal of this period of the exploration is a moving account of men who were terrified they wouldn't get out alive from this "awfully sublime" place.  Day by day, they continued trying, calling on final reserves of strength, courage and cunning.  

They reached what we believe was Tuolumne Canyon and turned south, traveling

8-10 miles a day.  On October 20, 1833 they became the first white men to reach the brink and look down at Yosemite Valley.  Walker remembered it to the day he died and Leonard's account is next...

"Here we began to encounter in our path many small streams which would shoot out from under these high snow banks and after running a short distance in deep chasms which they have, through the ages, cut into the rocks, precipitate themselves from one lofty precipice to another, until they are exhausted in rain below.  Some of these precipices appeared to us to be more than a mile high.  Some men thought that if we could succeed in descending one of these precipices to the bottom we might thus work our way into the valley below - but making several attempts we found it untterly inpossible for a man to descend to say nothing of our horses."  

Next time - Real Meat!