Heroes of the Middle West: The French

A narrative history traces French exploration and settlement in the American interior, following missionary priests and voyageurs as they map the upper Mississippi and carry Christianity among indigenous nations, describing encounters with native tribes, traders, soldiers, and governors, the building of missions, forts, and settlements, the fur trade and diplomatic rituals such as the calumet, and episodes of conflict and cooperation; sketches of notable figures, adventurous expeditions, and the gradual withdrawal of French power from frontier posts conclude with portraits of the communities and Native leaders who shaped the region's early history.