Through careful examination of primary documents, this book reveals that the true purpose of Zebulon Pike's western expedition in 1806–1807 was not innocent exploration of the West but an espionage mission in preparation for an American invasion of New Mexico. In 1806, the United States was on the brink of war with Spain over the disputed western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase and anticipated invading New Mexico. Possessing only meager information on the terrain as well as Spanish troop numbers and fortifications, President Thomas Jefferson and General James Wilkinson needed an agent who could cross the continent to Spanish territory all the way to the capital of Santa Fe, provide a plausible "cover story" for being there, and return with the vital information. Zebulon Pike: Thomas Jefferson's Agent for Empire is the story of how Pike carried out his mission as a prelude to an American invasion of New Mexico. This unique book is the first to fully chronicle Pike's 1806–1807 expedition to the Rocky Mountains and beyond, addressing both the exploratory and the clandestine purposes of Pike's western journey. By carefully examining the evidence available in primary documents, which shows that Pike prepared and carried a map showing a route to Santa Fe on his journey, the author overturns the conventional wisdom that Pike became lost searching for the Red River and mistakenly wandered into Spanish territory. This book also presents the Spanish perspective and response to Pike's invasion of Spanish territory and provides historical context to understand the role of Pike's expedition in Thomas Jefferson's quest to build an American "empire for liberty."

In the fall of 1908, no one could have guessed that the Chicago Cubs, a team that had dominated the National league three straight years, would for a century be shut out in its efforts to reclaim the world championship. Stars like Frank Chance, Johnny Evers, Ed Reulbach, and Three Finger Brown were still in their primes, and they had just emerged the winner in the most remarkable pennant race in major league history.In the decades since, the achievement of the 1908 Cubs has been overshadowed first by the events of the season, which included the Merkle Game and a playoff that pitted two all-time great pitchers against each other, and more recently by the calendar, as the centennial anniversary of the last Cubs championship closed in. This engaging book rescues the 1908 team from its status as footnote to baseball history, following one of the all-time great clubs on a thrilling, season-long march toward the World Series.