Promise of the Grand Canyon: John Wesley Powell's Perilous Journey and His Vision for the American West

This book recounts John Wesley Powell’s historic expedition down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, completing Lewis and Clark’s final exploration of continental America. As the son of an abolitionist preacher, a Civil War hero, and a passionate naturalist, Powell tackled the dangerous gorge in 1869. Powell questioned how the west’s development should be shaped, how much land could support, and the government’s and private industry’s role. He initiated a national conversation about sustainable development, despite supporting irrigation and dams that foreshadowed the 1930s dustbowl and current water scarcity issues.

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