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American Exploration and Travel Series
Commerce of the Prairies (Volume 17)
Written as a scrupulously accurate guidebook to the prairies and as an authoritative account of the early Santa Fe trade, Commerce of the Prairies has been a favorite of historians, ethnologists, naturalists, and collectors of Western Americana for generations. But Gregg’s masterpiece is not for specialists alone: its vivid descriptions of desert mirages, wagon caravans, Indian alarms and attacks, buffalo hunts, and other early Western phenomena will delight all who wish to know the country as it was before the great herds of buffalo were slaughtered and the roving Indians confined to reservations, before the landscape was transformed by barbed wire, domestic cattle, plowed fields, and modern highways.
Josiah Gregg, a man of rare sensitivity and passionate science interest, joined a caravan of traders bound for Santa Fé in 1831 and almost immediately developed a fascination for the adventure-packed life of Santa Fé trader. And during the ten years that he engaged in the San Fé trade, Gregg took copious notes on the life and landscape of the American prairies and the Mexican plateau, later utilizing them in Commerce of the Prairies.
This new edition faithfully follows the rare first edition, to and including the maps and illustrations. It will be welcomed both by readers familiar with the importance and interest of Gregg’s work and by readers who have yet to discover its attraction.
Josiah Gregg, a man of rare sensitivity and passionate science interest, joined a caravan of traders bound for Santa Fé in 1831 and almost immediately developed a fascination for the adventure-packed life of Santa Fé trader. And during the ten years that he engaged in the San Fé trade, Gregg took copious notes on the life and landscape of the American prairies and the Mexican plateau, later utilizing them in Commerce of the Prairies.
This new edition faithfully follows the rare first edition, to and including the maps and illustrations. It will be welcomed both by readers familiar with the importance and interest of Gregg’s work and by readers who have yet to discover its attraction.
514 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1844
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 31, 2024
The edition of this book I read was the University of Oklahoma Press single volume hardback published in 1958.
The author provides a contemporary perspective of trade on the Santa Fe Trail when Santa Fe and New Mexico were still part of Mexico, together with brief overviews of the geography, wild life and native tribes and nations of the prairies. It is all fascinating, however, Josiah Gregg is not a writer of lively prose. While he was articulate, clearly educated, and analytical in his approach to business he was, nevertheless, a trader and not an academic. Writing about his life in the wagon trains and displaying a knack for anecdotes he is interesting and sometimes entertaining. Once he moves to the generalities of climate, vegetation, politics and the history of the American Indians his style shifts to the didactic and he becomes more of a hack than an expert.
Generally his views are quite neutral as befits a trader not wanting to offend potential customers. When he expresses more personal opinions and prejudices they are directed against the Catholic Church and Mexican justice - or its absence, and there is a particularly forthright piece on the Removal of the Eastern tribes to the West in which he shows little sympathy for the displaced populations. Racism lurks in the background but to no greater extent than one might expect from a white man in the early nineteenth century. There is only one incident of note which occurs in the town of Durango. Gregg meets a "free negro" called George who volunteers to help him buy a guard dog. When George shows him to the home of the seller Gregg is shocked to find the Mexicans treating a Black man with greater courtesy and respect than the dust-stained American tradesman. He sounds more amazed than offended but he learns to live with it.
While certainly not a book for a casual read it holds much intriguing information on the nature of trade in the early Republic and the American West.
The author provides a contemporary perspective of trade on the Santa Fe Trail when Santa Fe and New Mexico were still part of Mexico, together with brief overviews of the geography, wild life and native tribes and nations of the prairies. It is all fascinating, however, Josiah Gregg is not a writer of lively prose. While he was articulate, clearly educated, and analytical in his approach to business he was, nevertheless, a trader and not an academic. Writing about his life in the wagon trains and displaying a knack for anecdotes he is interesting and sometimes entertaining. Once he moves to the generalities of climate, vegetation, politics and the history of the American Indians his style shifts to the didactic and he becomes more of a hack than an expert.
Generally his views are quite neutral as befits a trader not wanting to offend potential customers. When he expresses more personal opinions and prejudices they are directed against the Catholic Church and Mexican justice - or its absence, and there is a particularly forthright piece on the Removal of the Eastern tribes to the West in which he shows little sympathy for the displaced populations. Racism lurks in the background but to no greater extent than one might expect from a white man in the early nineteenth century. There is only one incident of note which occurs in the town of Durango. Gregg meets a "free negro" called George who volunteers to help him buy a guard dog. When George shows him to the home of the seller Gregg is shocked to find the Mexicans treating a Black man with greater courtesy and respect than the dust-stained American tradesman. He sounds more amazed than offended but he learns to live with it.
While certainly not a book for a casual read it holds much intriguing information on the nature of trade in the early Republic and the American West.
March 29, 2018
'Commerce of the Prairies' describes wagon train travel, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, south, into Mexico, in the early eighteen hundreds, as Native American's were driven Westward, from the East Coast.
Long descriptive sentences and colorful archaic language kept me in my easy chair.
Long descriptive sentences and colorful archaic language kept me in my easy chair.
February 23, 2020
Great Historical Value
Really enjoyed this book. Gives a lot of historical, cultural and geographical information. If your a western history fan you will enjoy this well written book.
Really enjoyed this book. Gives a lot of historical, cultural and geographical information. If your a western history fan you will enjoy this well written book.
December 29, 2009
The book was published in 1844 by a trader on the Santa Fe Trail, and it is a must-read for anyone interested in complex history of the American southwest.
April 19, 2010
This is one of my all time 1st person narratives about the Mountain Man Era.......
March 19, 2018
Educational enjoyable
The book was informative about all facets of life on the Santa Ferris trail. Particularly the people, the natives, their habits and styles.
The book was informative about all facets of life on the Santa Ferris trail. Particularly the people, the natives, their habits and styles.
January 26, 2019
High rated for educational value
I learned more from this one book than from many others combined..somewhat hard to believe in places, but trusted in the end.
I learned more from this one book than from many others combined..somewhat hard to believe in places, but trusted in the end.
February 26, 2022
Historically significant.
If you are interested in the history
Of the Santa Fe Trail, this is a "must read". It is easier reading than many manuscripts of the same era.
If you are interested in the history
Of the Santa Fe Trail, this is a "must read". It is easier reading than many manuscripts of the same era.
April 3, 2024
This book was published in 1844 and the book that I read was edited in 1926. It is a diary and history of the Sante Fe Trail mainly, altho Gregg does have a couple of chapters on traveling to Chihuahua. I found the book slow reading because in parts, the writing was difficult - one sentence might take half a page and I had to reread it.. However, it was so interesting that I forgave all that.
The book was a gift to me, and, from the title, I expected to read about the price of a barrel of flour and other commodities. There was none of that. What I read was a description of the actual travel. Gregg described his location by distance from rivers camping valleys as he traveled because there were no other markers - no towns - so there would be 40 miles from the Canadian River. Texas was a county, not a state, and when he descended the mountains, he saw a bunch of cornfields with kilns in the middle - that was the settlement of Santa Fe and the kilns were one-room adobe houses. Also, he described the need they had constantly for water and foraging for the mules. foThey carried dried beef and sometims drove sheep or cattle with them to slaughter along the way. If they ran iout of meat, they looked for buffalo The men were armed at all times because of fear of attack from bandits [they carried a lot of cash on the way back] and various Indian tribes. Gregg does touch on the slaughter of the buffalo and killed 3 buffalo needlessly himself.
His description of traveling to Chihuahua and the Mexican culture as deep poverty and great riches and, therefore, a lot of corruption was exemplified when Gregg was arested by a rico on his way back to the US. The man who had Gregg arrested was the son of a man who owned a silver mine and had sent his son to tour the US with 100 barrels filled with $1000 in silver.
Gregg died in California. He was there with the gold rush and decided to head for the coast with 7 other men when supplies were dwindling. They ran out of food and Gregg died of starvationb at age 44.
The book was a gift to me, and, from the title, I expected to read about the price of a barrel of flour and other commodities. There was none of that. What I read was a description of the actual travel. Gregg described his location by distance from rivers camping valleys as he traveled because there were no other markers - no towns - so there would be 40 miles from the Canadian River. Texas was a county, not a state, and when he descended the mountains, he saw a bunch of cornfields with kilns in the middle - that was the settlement of Santa Fe and the kilns were one-room adobe houses. Also, he described the need they had constantly for water and foraging for the mules. foThey carried dried beef and sometims drove sheep or cattle with them to slaughter along the way. If they ran iout of meat, they looked for buffalo The men were armed at all times because of fear of attack from bandits [they carried a lot of cash on the way back] and various Indian tribes. Gregg does touch on the slaughter of the buffalo and killed 3 buffalo needlessly himself.
His description of traveling to Chihuahua and the Mexican culture as deep poverty and great riches and, therefore, a lot of corruption was exemplified when Gregg was arested by a rico on his way back to the US. The man who had Gregg arrested was the son of a man who owned a silver mine and had sent his son to tour the US with 100 barrels filled with $1000 in silver.
Gregg died in California. He was there with the gold rush and decided to head for the coast with 7 other men when supplies were dwindling. They ran out of food and Gregg died of starvationb at age 44.
July 4, 2018
Interesting history of the southwest. Written by a seasoned trader from his journals and remembrances of commerce between the U.S. and northern Mexico over the Sante Fe trail in the 1830's and 1840's. A very comprehensive description of not only commerce on the prairie, but also the culture and governance of the districts of northern Mexico including the present day state of New Mexico and western Texas. Also detailed descriptions of the geography, geology, flora, and fauna of the region and distinctions between the numerous Indian tribes that lived in or traversed the area, based on his personal observations. Maps of the region would have been helpful but were not included in the Kindle edition of the book.
November 21, 2019
While at first blush it appears to be a memoir about the Plains, this is really a detailed account of Anglo experience in pre-territorial New Mexico. As invaluable as these insights are, they were tainted for me by his misplaced, unqualified prejudice against the the early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, against whom he devotes an entire chapter. His perspective on the conflict between Missourians and Mormons on the frontier only has value to the extent it serves as an example of Missourian bigotry at the time. The historical details he shares about this conflict are so inaccurate and one-sided against the Latter-day Saints as to be laughable.
February 19, 2025
Very interesting account of an American’s perspective of traveling the Santa Fe Trail and beyond. It is a personal account and not always completely factual on all accounts but still very interesting!
August 8, 2022
For my personal tastes, I have this book rated 3 out of five however it terms of historical value this is easily a 4 or 5 out of 5 stars.
April 9, 2016
The single best book on the Santa Fe Trail, and Americans' introduction to Mexican New Mexico.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews