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Alexander MakenziScottish merchant, agent of the Canadian North-West Fur Company.
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
Alexander Mackenzie Biography
Alexander Mackenzie (1764-1820) was a Scottish merchant and agent of the Canadian North West Fur Company. He played a significant role in exploring and opening up the western Canadian territories.
Early Life and Career
Alexander Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1764. At the age of fifteen, he became involved in the exploration and development of the western Canadian lands. Prior to his involvement, much was already known about the west and northwest of Canada, but there was still much left unexplored.
Mackenzie joined the North West Fur Company, where he worked alongside prominent fur traders and adventurers, such as Joseph Frobisher, Alexander Henry, and Peter Pond. These individuals had made several discoveries, including the Athabasca River and Lake, which were named after the indigenous tribe inhabiting the area.
In 1789, Mackenzie set out on a river expedition with twelve companions in birchbark canoes. His goal was to determine if there was a water route from the Great Slave Lake to the North Pacific Ocean. On June 9, 1789, he reached the Great Slave Lake and spent considerable time searching for a further route. Eventually, he discovered a mighty current flowing from the western end of the lake, which he believed led to the Pacific Ocean.
However, since Mackenzie did not explore the coastal areas and did not witness the connection between the river and the ocean, his claims were initially met with skepticism. He justified his limited exploration by stating that his supplies were running low, prompting him to turn back on July 16, 1789.
Journey to the Pacific Ocean
Following his initial expedition, Mackenzie spent two years in the Athabasca region before returning to his homeland. During this time, he expanded his knowledge of cartography and geography in preparation for another significant journey. His goal was to find a western river route from Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean.
In 1792, Mackenzie embarked on his second expedition. He arrived at the Saint Lawrence River and traveled to Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca, where his cousin Roderick Mackenzie had prepared the necessary supplies and recruited a team. Mackenzie chose the Peace River for exploration, hoping it would lead him close to the Pacific Ocean. However, the river did not follow the expected path, turning south instead.
Despite these setbacks, Mackenzie continued his journey up the river until he reached 56° N latitude. It was already mid-October, and he decided to establish a winter camp near the Smoky River. In the spring of 1793, when the river thawed, Mackenzie and his team resumed their journey upstream. They encountered challenging terrain, including canyons and rapids, but eventually reached the Parsnip River, where they discovered the Fraser River.
Mackenzie hoped that the Fraser River would lead them to the Pacific Ocean, so they continued their journey downstream. However, they were eventually forced to turn back due to impassable canyons. They built a new canoe on the Fraser River and left it behind as they traveled westward on foot with heavy loads. They crossed the Coast Mountains and reached the Bella Coola River, where they were transported by the local indigenous people in large cedar canoes to the coast. On July 22, 1793, Mackenzie reached the Pacific Ocean at 52° N latitude and carved a message on a cliff to commemorate his achievement.
After completing his journey to the Pacific Ocean, Mackenzie and his companions returned to Fort Chipewyan in August 1793. He then traveled back to Lake Athabasca and eventually made his way to Montreal in 1794, completing his second transcontinental journey. In 1801, he published his book, "Voyages from Montreal, on the River St. Lawrence, through the Continent of North America," which detailed his explorations.
Mackenzie's expeditions were remarkable accomplishments, as he crossed the entire North American continent from east to west and west to east, covering over 10,000 kilometers in total. His explorations opened up new territories for fur trading and paved the way for further settlement in western Canada.
