Summary of H. W. Brands' Dreams of El Dorado

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The first Americans entered human history as Asia s east. They were hunters who spread and multiplied across the Americas, and they forgot where they came from. The American West was sparsely populated because of a lack of water, while the Great Plains were rich due to the resource of buffalo.#2 The Mississippi River was the central artery of North America, and its tributaries drained most of what would become the United States. The victory of the United States in the Revolutionary War gave it control of the eastern half of the Mississippi basin.#3 When Thomas Jefferson became president, he sought to purchase New Orleans, which would guarantee the right of deposit and navigation. He discovered that France had reacquired Louisiana from Spain, by a treaty that was supposed to be secret but didn t stay so for long.#4 Jefferson, despite his strict constructionist philosophy, signed the Louisiana Purchase deal with Napoleon. The acquisition of Louisiana doubled the size of the United States, ensuring a handsome patrimony for generations of American farmers.