American Mountain Man

The Lewis & Clark Voyage of Discovery spurred many men to head into the Rocky Mountains. The impetus was to exploit the pelts of beaver and other exotic animals being used in the clothing industry. The mountain man was a rough customers who could survive wilderness conditions and the indigenous population. They were loners and extraordinarily self sufficient. The hardships they survived would be unimaginable today. Their lives and stories produced the lore of the early United States that has captivated the world ever since their time in the West.