What is the significance of zebulon pike

An article courtesy of the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia. Click for more. Letters Pike to Jefferson, October 29, The Expeditions of Zebulon Montgomery Pike.

Edited by Elliot Coues. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Pike National Historic Trail Association. The group crossed back into the Arkansas watershed near Buena Vista, and stumbled down the Royal Gorge, only to discover they were still on the Arkansas. Finally, a Spanish military party escorted him across Texas and left him on American soil near Fort Claiborne in Louisiana. The expedition was, however, the brainchild of General Wilkinson, who, it turned out, was a paid agent for the Spanish crown.

After Pike returned, he wrote a detailed report of his findings to the US Congress in and published the journals and letters of his expedition in Later explorers and other visitors to Colorado and the Southwest often carried his maps and writings to guide them. After he died in the Battle of York during the War of , he was honored in poems and complementary biographies.

Thus in death he achieved the national stature he had desired in life. The area now known as Colorado was a part of the Louisiana Purchase. Pike was one of many explorers to visit this new territory.

On November 15, Pike saw what looked like a small blue cloud on the horizon. A few days later, he and three of his men, left the river to climb to the top of what he called the Grand Peak.

Later, that peak would be named Pikes Peak. But, the climbers never reached the top. On Thanksgiving Day, they decided to turn around. As they kept traveling along the Arkansas, Pike and his men had many problems.

They faced frostbite, hunger, and tiredness as they continued exploring this area. The crossing caused still more suffering. Later, he sent rescue parties back to retrieve the men left in the mountains. Along the way, Pike enjoyed meeting Spanish priests and officials. Pike wrote a detailed report of his travels for the US Congress in Two months later, the party found the source of the Arkansas, which they had been sent to do, and returned back east, their job for the army completed.

On their way back to the States, Pike and his party were captured by the Spanish and taken to Santa Fe. After five months in captivity, the men were released. Pike convinced the Pawnees to lower the Spanish flag and raise the American flag, possibly the first time the United States flag flew west of the Missouri River. Pike was released six months later but his papers were kept.

Pike became famous after he and his troops won the battle of York over the British in the War of Pike was killed in the battle and became an American military hero. His legacy was later overshadowed by Lewis and Clark.