Chapter 36 St. Louis January - August 1809 Summary and Analysis

Lewis continues to work as the governor of the territory, making some good decisions and many bad ones. He begins to take regular doses of opium and morphine, ostensibly to treat his malaria—soon, however, he is strongly addicted and frequently addled. Moreover, he continues to routinely become drunk in the company of less-notable political hangers-on; by today's standards, he would be considered an alcoholic. His personal finances are in complete disarray and his public expenditures are alarming. He arranges a merging of personal and public interests, which draws wide criticism—he helps to establish a fur trapping and trading company, grants the company a monopoly on trade, and funds the company's initial expedition with public funds. All this, he justifies by charging the company with the task of...