More U.S. History

The Pioneers   by David McCullough

The pioneers referred to in the title are the New Englanders who founded the Ohio Company of Associates and settled that portion of the Northwest Territory in and around the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers (present day Marietta, Ohio) beginning in the year 1788.  

The featured pioneers are the families of Manasseh Cutler, Ephraim Cutler, General Rufus Putnam, Joseph Barker and Samuel Hildreth.  Their stories offer excellent insight into the daily life of these settlers, their values and their contributions to the overall history and development of this geographic area, indeed to the nation as a whole.  The significance of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 in the development of our country comes into sharp focus in this book.  The settlers’ interaction with the Indian tribes of the area is covered.  The tragi-comic if not almost farcical tale of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, their island, and Aaron Burr’s treachery is nicely explained also.  

McCullough is an engaging writer, new to me, but one that several of you have mentioned.  His writing style is uncomplicated and he delivers the history in an accessible manner that keeps the reader following along easily.  In this book, he covers about 70 years in the life of a seemingly insignificant small town located in one remote corner of the newly formed American nation.  After reading McCullough’s book, I was convinced that little Marietta was one of the most important places in the United States.  And, in a way, it is.   Marietta is just one of the many settlements that tells the larger story of America’s westward push and the spirit and endurance of its pioneers.  McCullough accomplished a lot in telling about the town and its pioneers. 

The book includes very good photographs that correspond to most of the central figures and subjects covered. There are two or three maps at the beginning of the book which are quite helpful though I did have to consult additional maps on several occasions.   

Mr. McCullough’s book gave me a better understanding of Ohio.  I now think of the area as “Puritan New England West.”  The author and his tale whetted my appetite for sitting on the banks of the Ohio after strolling downtown Marietta.  I’m planning my trip now.