The Upper Country

This engaging narrative in The Upper Country reveals the complexities of French imperial ambitions and daily life in early America, blending myth with history.

In The Upper Country, readers are taken on a journey through the daily lives of those at significant posts such as Forts Saint Louis and Michilimakinac. This work delves into the intricate dynamics of interracial marriage, exemplified by the courtship of Michel Aco at Peoria. Furthermore, it explores the impact of France's New World ambitions on the onset of the Seven Years War, marking a pivotal moment in the transition to the modern era.

The narrative skillfully intertwines myth with established history, offering a rich and memorable account of French aspirations amidst the backdrop of what would eventually become the United States. Readers are placed directly on the battlefields, navigating the trading posts and rivers alongside voyageurs and their Indigenous allies. Claiborne Skinner reveals the often idealized figures of missionaries and fur traders as key players in a determined, and frequently ruthless, imperial strategy.

As the story unfolds, familiar heroes and villains from American history are recontextualized in unexpected ways. The last Stuart kings of England emerge as surprisingly shrewd characters, while George Washington's initial appearance on the historical stage is marked by a dramatic act of violence against a French officer, setting the stage for a global conflict. This insightful exploration of France's imperial endeavors in the Great Lakes region illuminates the complexities of ambition, hardship, and the quest for prosperity in the fur trade.