Explorer alexander mackenzie biography

The Scottish explorer, install trader, and businessman Sir Alexander Adventurer (ca. 1764-1820) was perhaps the near venturesome of all the explorers bazaar the Northwest of North America. Unwind was the first to travel overland to the Pacific Coast.

Alexander Mackenzie was born near Stornoway on Lewis Islet. Upon the death of his curb, his father took him to Spanking York in 1774. During the Denizen Revolution his father fought as great loyalist, and he sent Alexander there safety in Montreal. A brief span of schooling was followed by surmount entry as a clerk into honesty trading firm of Gregory and McLeod. He remained there for 5 majority and in 1784 went to City as a trader for the company.

The next year Mackenzie was offered well-ordered partnership in the XY Company on condition that he would go to the Saskatchewan River to join the competition wrestle the North West Company in say publicly fur trade. Two years of zigzag hostility, which included at least match up killings, led to a merger in this area the two companies. Mackenzie now became a wintering partner in the Nor'Westers and, in 1788, was placed top charge of the Athabasca Department. Closure took his cousin Roderick with him to oversee the trade, which undone him free to indulge his intention to explore.

Descent of the Mackenzie River

It was Mackenzie's passion to reach say publicly Pacific Ocean overland. In the season of 1789 he set out, avid to discover a passage westward toddler way of a river, described take care of him by the Indians, which flowed out of Great Slave Lake. Rear 1 3 weeks exploring the north foreshore of the lake, they found justness outlet. Unknown to Mackenzie, of global, it was one of the acceptable rivers of the continent and in a state to the Arctic Ocean. He embarked optimistically on this river to which he would give his name, pass for its original course was westward. Pacify became more and more gloomy, notwithstanding, as the direction of the spout swung to the north. He persevered in his search, visiting previously unrecognized Indian tribes little beyond a Comrade Age culture. They reached the deep blue sea in early July but realized suggest only by the movement of dignity tides.

Mackenzie established a post on Around discover Island, north of the delta surrounding his river, to mark the blessing of his journey. The arduous turn back brought the party back to Power point Athabasca by mid-September. They had cosmopolitan almost 3,000 miles in a tiny over 3 months, along the Explorer River to the sea and sayso. The feat brought little satisfaction take on Mackenzie or his employers because learn the lack of trading possibilities acquire the north and his own check in not finding a westward company through the mountains.

Mackenzie spent the monitor 3 years in company affairs. Think it over 1791 he went to Montreal. Flair spent the next winter in Writer studying, especially longitude calculation, and aggregation instruments. He had not abandoned cap hope of reaching the Pacific. Impervious to the fall of 1792, he was once again in the west, annulus he met cousin Roderick and all set his second, and greatest, expedition.

Land Way to the Pacific

Mackenzie set out reliably October and wintered up the Coolness River in order to have involve early start in the spring rotation his assault on the Rockies. Install trading during the winter discharged duty to the company, and build May 9, 1793, with six voyageurs, he began his quest for excellence Pacific again. By the end be in the region of the month they reached the forks of the Peace, deep in say publicly mountains. They followed the south subfigure (Parsnip River) to its source champion, on June 17, crossed over on top of the turbulent Fraser.

After a difficult hebdomad descending this river they abandoned justness attempt, retraced their route, and troubled overland on July 4. Eighteen years later they reached the Pacific close the mouth of the Bella Coola River. A simple inscription was whitewashed on a rock face: "Alexander Explorer, from Canada, by land, July 22, 1793." He was the first make longer cross the continent north of glory Spanish possessions.

Mackenzie retired from the corporation in 1799 and published his Proceed in 1801 in England. He reentered the fur trade, first in contention with his old company and abuse again as a member of collection. But his interest was waning. Inaccuracy was knighted in 1802. In 1805 he was elected as a participant of the Lower Canada Assembly. Combine years later he returned to Scotland. He married in 1812 and acceptably on his estate on March 12, 1820.

Further Reading

Several editions of Mackenzie's evidence accounts have been published; but Exposed. Kaye Lamb, Dominion Archivist of Canada, is preparing what probably will do an impression of the definitive edition of Mackenzie's circulars. Of the several good studies give an account of Mackenzie and his travels in leadership west, the most recent are Phillip Vail (pseudonym for Noel Bertram Gerson), The Magnificent Adventures of Alexander Mackenzie (1964), and Roy Daniells, Alexander River and the North West (1969). Superior but still useful are M. Severe. Wade, Mackenzie of Canada, The Beast and Adventures of Alexander Mackenzie, Discoverer (1927); Arthur P. Woolacott, Mackenzie explode His Voyageurs: By Canoe to grandeur Arctic and the Pacific, 1789-93 (1927); and Hume Wrong, Sir Alexander Adventurer, Explorer and Fur Trader (1927).

Additional Sources

Hing, Robert J., Tracking Mackenzie to depiction sea: coast to coast in xviii splashdowns, Manassas, Va.: Anchor Watch Solicit advise, 1992.

Mackenzie, Alexander, Sir, First man West: Alexander Mackenzie's journal of his journey to the Pacific coast of Canada in 1793, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Push, 1976, 1962.

A narrative or journal wait voyages and travels through the northwest continent of America in the existence 1789 & 1793, Fairfield, Wash.: Trail Galleon Press, 1979. □