Arkansas Travelers: Geographies of Exploration and Perception, 1804–1834 by Andrew J. Milson has been reviewed by Steven L. Driever in Historical Geography.
Milson examines the travel narratives of four Arkansas travelers—William Dunbar, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft , Thomas Nuttall, and George Fenston Featherstonhaugh— through the geographic concepts of place and landscape. Arkansas was part of France’s territory before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and it became the twenty-fifth state in 1836. Thus, the four men traversed Arkansas when it was on the American frontier. The 1810 US Census recorded a non- native population of only 1,062, mostly settlers of French descent. Anglo- American settlers started relocating to Arkansas in earnest aft er the War of 1812, and by 1840 the census recorded the new state’s population as more than 97,000 free whites and “colored.”
“Anyone with an interest in the historical geography of territorial Arkansas will find this monograph indispensable. This work also is recommended for anyone curious about frontier travel and the life of American settlers west of the lower Mississippi River.”
In Arkansas Travelers, historical geographer Andrew J. Milson takes readers on an enthralling tour with William Dunbar, Thomas Nuttall, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, and George William Featherstonhaugh as they explored the Arkansas frontier in the early nineteenth century. Each of these travelers wrote about the treacherous rivers, drunken scoundrels, humble dwellings, repulsive food, and beautiful vistas they encountered. In addition to telling their stories, Milson presents detailed new maps that illustrate the travelers’ routes as well as their environmental and cultural perceptions. Arkansas Travelers guides readers toward a deep understanding of Arkansas history and geography through the eyes of these four explorers.
Arkansas Travelers won the 2020 J.G. Ragsdale Book Award from the Arkansas Historical Association.