Shea Featured in Opening Program for Lewis and Clark Expedition

Staff Writer

Courtesy of Media Services

Lewis and Clark - William Shea, professor of history, spoke on the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition Sept. 9. Shea deconstructed myths surrounding their travels in his detailed narrative.

   William Shea, professor of history, spoke on the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition for the opening ceremony of “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country: Two Hundred Years of American History” in the Memorial Classroom Building Auditorium Sept. 9

   The six-panel exhibition detailed the artwork, photography and text the contacts Lewis and Clark made with native tribes across the continent. The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center is one of only 27 libraries and tribal centers across the nation and the only facility in Arkansas to host the exhibit.

   Calling the explorers' travels “one of the greatest, most extraordinary adventure stories of all time,” Shea deconstructed several myths surrounding their travels in his detailed narrative, offering the exhibit rich historical context.

   Shea described Lewis and Clark's task as “an early nineteenth-century version of a stealth operation” as they attempted to cross foreign territories in search of an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. Explaining that the United States was seeking an easy route to China, Shea described an expedition whose true purpose was “mercantile in nature,” a perspective, he pointed out, that is in conflict with the American mythology of the nobility of exploration and discovery.

  Shea said Lewis and Clark were surprised at the sophistication of the native tribes they contacted, and depended on them for survival as they encountered increasingly difficult terrain. While the explorers collected much data, most of it was lost or held in Lewis' possession for years, making their scientific contributions outdated.

   He said while the main impact of their expedition was to generate national interest in westward expansion, the real legacy of Lewis and Clark's adventure is that “it's a crackin' good story.”

   “Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country” is available to UAM through support from the American Library Association, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Newberry Library Association, Chicago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Sara Lee Foundation, Ruth C. Ruggles and the National Park Foundation.

   The exhibit will be on display at the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center through Oct. 5. The exhibit is open to the public and campus or community organizations can schedule a guided tour by contacting the Fred J. Taylor Library and Technology Center at 870-460-1080 or the project coordinator, Mary Heady at heady@uamont.edu.

   For more information, please visit  http://www.uamont.edu/library/lewis/index.htm.

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