Zebulon Pike Research Paper

Zebulon Pike was born on January 5,1779 to Isabella Brown and Zebulon Pike Senior in the little town of Lamberton which is now a part of Trenton, New Jersey. He never had a formal education but he loved to read. He joined the army at the age of 15 following in his father’s footsteps and was promoted to cadet at the age of 20. He had his first mission at the age of 26.

His first mission was a reconnaissance mission to scout out the source of the upper Mississippi River. He left August 9, 1805 with twenty men and came back on April 30, 1806. While he was exploring he wrongly named Cass Lake as the source when it was actually Lake Itasca. Many people speculate that this mission was actually just a test of Pikes skills because as it was later found out his commanding officer James Wilkinson was actually getting paid by the Spanish. …show more content…
The exact reasons of the mission were unclear but according to Zebulon Pike: Biography, Facts & Timeline, “His purpose was two-fold. First, he was to return ransomed Osage Indians to their tribal home, negotiate a peace treaty between the Kansas and Osage tribes, and establish general diplomatic and economic ties. Second, he was to map the general geographical and topographical features of the region.” His expedition took him through five states including Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. He was in Colorado when he encountered a mountain later named Pike’s Peak.

Pike’s Peak was 8,000 feet high and covered in snow at the time. Pike and his men tried to climb it but had to turn back because of the snow. After they turned back they decided they would look for the source of the Red River. They ‘accidentally’ wandered into Spanish territory by following the Rio Grande. They were soon captured and after being a guest of the Spanish were sent back to the borders of the Louisiana Purchase. Now this raised