Founding St. Louis: First City Of The New West ... -

In 1763, New Orleans merchant was granted a trade monopoly for the upper Mississippi Valley. Seeking a strategic location for a fur trading post, he scouted northward with his 13-year-old stepson, Auguste Chouteau . Founding St. Louis: First City of the New West - Amazon UK

The founding of St. Louis in 1764 marked the birth of a "cosmopolitan center of international commerce" that preceded the famous Lewis and Clark expedition by four decades. Often overshadowed by later American expansion, the city’s early history is a complex narrative of French ambition, Spanish rule, and essential alliances with Native American nations. The Vision of Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau Founding St. Louis: First City of the New West ...