Description
Astoria by Washington Irving recounts the early 19th-century expedition to establish a permanent American trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River. Financed by John Jacob Astor between 1810 and 1813, the venture aimed to create a commercial base for the Pacific Fur Company in competition with British and Russian interests in the Pacific Northwest.
Commissioned in 1834, Irving wrote the book as the official history of the Astor Expedition, drawing on extensive records and firsthand accounts. The expedition included a perilous sea journey aboard the ship Tonquin as well as overland travel that would later shape the route of the Oregon Trail. Published in 1836, the book became an immediate bestseller, translated into Dutch, French, and German, and reprinted multiple times before Irving’s death in 1859.
This modern paperback edition preserves the original narrative style and includes the distinctive feature of no illustrations. With 224 pages, Astoria remains a foundational work for readers interested in westward expansion, maritime history, and the early development of the American Pacific frontier.
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