Zebulon Pike

Lore & Background

Pike was born on January 5, 1779, in Lamington, New Jersey, the son of Isabella (Brown) and Zebulon Pike. Through his father, he was a direct descendant of Robert Pike, an opponent of the Salem witchcraft prosecutions of 1692. He grew up at a series of outposts in Ohio and Illinois, was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry in 1799, and promoted to first lieutenant later that same year. He married his cousin Clarissa Harlow Brown in 1801; they had one child who survived to adulthood, Clarissa Brown Pike, who later married President William Henry Harrison's son.

In the summer of 1805, General-in-Chief James Wilkinson ordered Pike to locate the northern source of the Mississippi River, explore the northern portion of the Louisiana Territory, and expel any British or Canadian fur traders. Pike left St. Louis on August 9, 1805, proceeding upstream by pirogue. He negotiated a treaty with the Dakota Indians, purchased the site of Fort Snelling, and reached Leech Lake on February 1, 1806, where he informed traders they were within U.S. boundaries and replaced the British flag with the American flag. He designated Upper Red Cedar Lake as the upper source of the Mississippi and returned to St. Louis on April 20, 1806.

Pike's second expedition began July 15, 1806, to explore the southwest, find the headwaters of the Arkansas and Red Rivers, evaluate natural resources, and establish friendly relations with Native Americans. In early November 1806, Pike and his team sighted and tried to climb the peak later named after him, but gave up in waist-deep snow. They built a fort for shelter but crossed the border into Spanish territory, whether through confusion or deliberation. Spanish authorities captured Pike on February 26, 1807, and took him to Santa Fe and then Chihuahua for interrogation. He was treated well but his men were kept prisoner; Spanish authorities feared the spread of democracy and Protestantism. Pike was released and escorted to the Louisiana border on July 1, 1807.

Reader's Guide

Zebulon Pike's expeditions were among the early U.S. government explorations into the Louisiana Purchase territory, following the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His first expedition traced the upper Mississippi River, asserting American sovereignty and negotiating with Native American tribes. His second expedition into the southwest, though resulting in his capture by Spanish authorities, provided geographic and political information about the region. Pike's published account of his expeditions, released in 1810, was so popular it was translated into several languages for European publication. He later served as a brigadier general in the War of 1812 and was killed by an explosion at a gunpowder magazine during the Battle of York on April 27, 1813. Pikes Peak in Colorado is named for him, cementing his legacy as an explorer of the American West.

Did You Know?

• Pike's second expedition crossed the Rocky Mountains into what is now southern Colorado, resulting in his capture by Spanish colonial authorities near Santa Fe.
• Pike published an account of his expeditions in 1810 that was translated into several languages for publication in Europe.
• He was a direct descendant of Robert Pike, who was famous for opposing the Salem witchcraft prosecutions of 1692.
• Pike was killed in April 1813 by an explosion at a gunpowder magazine outside the British colonial capital of Upper Canada during the Battle of York.