Journals of Alexander Mackenzie, published posthumously in 1801, chronicle the explorer’s groundbreaking expeditions across North America, including his historic 1793 crossing to the Pacific Ocean—the first by a European. The journals document geographic observations, Indigenous encounters, and the hardships of wilderness travel. Mackenzie’s clear and detailed prose provides an invaluable window into early Canadian exploration and the fur trade. His achievements paved the way for future expeditions and helped shape the understanding of the continent’s vast interior.
