Missouri Compromise: A Young Trapper’s Tale is a short story in my Tailing Times series, which centers on the Colorado Gold Rush. At only fifteen episodes, two per week, it will run on Vella for just over a month. Here’s a bit about the story and my research.
Missouri Compromise
Like Buffalo Chasers: A Wild West Show, Missouri Compromise: A Young Trapper’s Tale is a prequel to the Tailing Times Mysteries, a western detective series about an amateur sleuth, Chester, in the Colorado gold fields during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush. Missouri Compromise tells the coming of age story of Guillaume Pelletier, Chester’s mentor and sidekick in the Tailing Times Mysteries.
Guillaume (Guy) was born in St. Louis to a fur trapping and trading family who worked the Missouri River and its western tributaries. In 1835, Guy’s father was killed during an Indian attack on his trapping party. At fourteen, Guy must join the same trapping party to help his mother support his little sisters. Although his uncle owns the trapping company, the superstitious voyageurs don’t welcome him. And Guy’s inexperience puts the whole party at risk. Will the trapping party all reach Fort Union in what is now North Dakota?
Through this tale of Guy’s coming of age, we learn about his character, what motivates him, and how he is similar to and different from Chester. More than a character background, Missouri Compromise is an exciting adventure story about the perils of traveling and trapping the vast wilderness of the western territories.
As a prequel, does that mean Missouri Compromise doesn’t make sense without reading more of the Tailing Times series? As much as I would love you to read everything in Tailing Times, the answer is “no.” Missouri Compromise is a stand-alone short story that has meaning whether or not you read anything else in the Tailing Times series.
Why “Missouri Compromise?”
Before looking at some of the references I used to research the story, first a bit about the title. The US federal legislation referred to as the Missouri Compromise is a study unto itself, but here’s the gist of it. In 1820 the United States admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state in exchange for legislation which prohibited slavery in the remaining Louisiana Purchase lands north of the 36°30′ parallel.
By 1820, the trapping and trading industry on the Missouri River was booming, and was the financial vehicle for Missouri’s statehood. Although the legislation was about states, not individuals, it impacted the lives of many people living in those states, particularly Missouri. The concept of trading one life for another is a common theme in my short story, Missouri Compromise, so I combined the two in the title.
Researching Missouri Compromise
As an avid reader of western fiction, you may also be interested in the historical facts at its heart. If not, don’t go away just yet. I give a quick description of four of the primary works I used to research Missouri Compromise. Three are what you might expect for a research text. While fantastic works, they are not casual reads. However, one is a fantastic read for anyone interested in the American West of 1860-1890. Let’s look at that one first so you can decide if you want to read on.
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown is an essential read for anyone interested in the lives and trials of the native tribes who lived in North America at the time of the great westward expansion. Brown explores the events impacting the tribes year by year from 1860-1890 through the words of tribal leaders and their contemporaries. As a well-researched text, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, is appropriate for university study, and as a tragic story, it is at once beautiful and horrifying to read for anyone interested in the topic.
I still have my copy from university in 1984, but listened to the audiobook twice in recent months (it was that fascinating to rediscover).
Amazon (and, yes! At this time, it’s available free for Audible subscribers)
The Fur Trade of the American West 1807-1840
The Fur Trade of the American West 1807-1840 by David J Wishart is a fact-packed description of the fur trade as an industry and as an individual pursuit. Complete with maps of trade routes, diagrams of the annual business cycle, and records of harvests and trade goods from individual forts, this volume gives a clear and comprehensive picture of the trapping and trading industry and its workers. This is an enjoyable read for someone who likes this era of history, but is not a light read. It is well-researched and footnoted.
I picked up the Bison printing (green soft cover) of this book at the Fort Laramie historic site bookstore last year.
The Chouteaus: The First Family of the Fur Trade
The Chouteaus: The First Family of the Fur Trade by Stan Hoig is an exhaustive study of the Chouteau family (pronounced Shoto—I know, not how it would be pronounced in France). The Chouteaus were central to the trapping and trading industry and paramount in the development of St. Louis and the state of Missouri. Since this family was so involved in everything, tracing their successes and failures over the era gives a good picture of the era itself. The volume also gives in-depth accounts of the family’s close associates and rivals. Thoroughly researched and end-noted, this volume should be interesting to readers who enjoy the history of this era.
I picked up the hardbound version of this book at the Fort Laramie historic site bookstore last year.
Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West
Mountain Men and Fur Traders of the Far West edited by LeRoy R. Hafen is a collection of essays about individual men who fit the description on the cover. While I have enjoyed digging into it many times, it is definitely a volume for researchers and history buffs.
I still have my copy from university in 1984 and keep it at the Wyoming ranch to occasionally read one of the essays.
Coming Soon to Kindle Vella
If you enjoy westerns or mid-twentieth-century adventure fiction, you might enjoy Missouri Compromise: A Young Trapper’s Tale on Kindle Vella.
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Cover image by Marzolino/shutterstock.com. Used under license from Shutterstock.com.