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Note To Dkos Readers: If you are just joining me for this series of diaries on, please read the introduction in yesterday’s diary (http://www.dailykos.com/...), if not the entire diary itself. It will help explain the essence of both the adventure and the social politics behind same.
The Quest Of Young Wes: Why did Major Powell take on this prodigious challenge that turned out to entail two separate expeditions? What were his credentials and life experiences to think he could even succeed? First, he didn’t have the credentials and experience. Second, no one before Powell had ever accomplished what seemed to burn in his brain, as a novel idea worth pursuing. Unquestionably, there were parts of the Green and Colorado River country previously explored in the early part of the nineteenth century, though not to the extent he had in mind to explore that region. When the major first proposed his enterprising notions to key players who could help achieve his goals, he didn’t have a tough time selling the idea to the men he recruited to go along with him. Neither did he have too much difficulty selling the scheme, a dream really, to the historical society and universities that had initially backed him in his warm-up exercise to launch a much more entailed venture. It turns out his overland Rocky Mountain West excursions in 1867 and 1868 whet his appetite for the down-river phase of his ambitious plans. But Major Powell had a difficult time convincing Congress he truly was the right man for the job; also, the exploration of the canyon country of the aforementioned two rivers was of vital importance to the Nation.
To get a better understanding of why Major Powell didn’t entirely win the money lenders over, nor succeed in getting their approval, as confidence for his proposal, we have to step back into history and drop some names. The major was up against laudable others, who all had credentials and life experiences. Some even had formal education to do the tasks they were assigned to. It was thought by some congressional sources these men were well established in their fields, while the major had proved himself in other ways, though not as an all-out explorer. Besides, there were already surveyors and engineers in the West and doing some of what Powell had proposed. Ergo, why fund another adventurer who really wasn’t of their caliber?
