About this item
In 1976, America's bicentennial, 24 young men set out to re-create French explorer La Salle's voyage down the entire length of the Mississippi River, abandoning their modern identities in order to live like the voyageurs of the 1600s... Reid Lewis never wanted to be an ordinary French teacher. With the approach of the American Bicentennial, he decided to put his knowledge of French language and history to use in recreating the voyage of Ren Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the first European to travel from Montreal to the end of the Mississippi River. Lewis' crew of modern voyageurs was comprised of 16 high school students and 6 teachers who learned to sew their own 17th-century clothing, paddle handmade canoes, and construct black powder rifles.
About the Author
Lorraine Boissoneault is a journalist and writer whose work has appeared in national and regional publications including Salon, Forbes Middle East, The Weather Channel, and many other outlets. She covers travel, foreign policy, science, and adventure and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism. She lives in Chicago with her husband.
