Sir Alexander MacKenzie, page 1

Gough, Barry.

First Across the Continent: Sir Alexander Mackenzie. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997.

This book is about Mackenzie's search for a Northwest Passage, and the link from Canada to Russia, Japan and Cathay. He drove himself and his men tirelessly by canoe and portage across the northern landscape of Canada. In 1789 he went from Lake Athabasca, his base of operations, to the Arctic Ocean by way of the great northern river, the Mackenzie. In 1792-93 he went upriver on the Peace River and then overland to the headwaters of the Fraser River, thence across land to Dean Channel. By age 31, he had earned the distinction of being first to travel across the continent north of Mexico, opened the continent to further exploration and trade, and ended speculation about a Northwest Passage in those latitudes. This book shows Mackenzie as an individual of enormous ambition and ego. He had left Scotland in destitution, but through determination and skill worked his way up in the fur trading business, the Northwest Company. In later years he fought unsuccessfully against Selkirk's scheme to settle Red River. His book Voyages from Montreal, published 1801, influenced many, including Thomas Jefferson, who was inspired to send Lewis and Clark on their western discoveries 1805-6. Often forgotten in Canadian and American history, Mackenzie's life as told by this author is a re-examination of the importance of exploration, and of fur traders' contribution to discoveries. It is also an examination of how the Canadian economy functioned in the late 18th century. Mackenzie was knighted for his achievements, and he developed various commercial designs for Canadian trade to China, some of which involved American shipping and financial interests. He fought against the monopolistic interests of the Hudson's Bay Company, as his book shows. Heavily illustrated, this is a compact introduction to the topic.

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