Everyone knows William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition fame, but the Clark family had another famous member, George Rogers Clark. He was a frontiersman like his younger brother and a general during the American Revolution. He is best known for his exploits in the Old Northwest territory.
Clark and his men would expand the territory of the United States deeper into the North American Continent. Before we view the resources available online, let me give you a short background of the man.
Biography
George Rogers Clark was born on a Virginia plantation on November 19, 1752.
- At 22, he was a surveyor in the Kentucky country, then part of Virginia.
- He was 25 years old when the American Revolution started.
- In the country west of the Alleghenies, victory depended upon which side the Indians took. The British were stirring up the Indians to attack American settlements. Clark proposed to drive the British from their posts. In the summer of 1778, Clark set out with 175 men and captured three important posts, Kaskaskia and Cahokia on the Mississippi near St. Louis and Vincennes on the Wabash.
Web Resources
To learn more about George Rogers Clark and find out about his place in history, check out these sites.
George Rogers Clark National Park
Here you will find information on visiting the Park named in his honor. Find more information about Clark, and discover the wonder and beauty of the Old Northwest Territory.
Clark's Memoirs
From the Illinois Historical Bureau, read this fascinating account of Clarke's fight against the British in the Old Northwest territory during the American Revolution.
Locust Grove Plantation
William and Lucy Clark Croghan built this historic place. You can read about Clark and his equally famous brother William. His sister and brother-in-law, and get information about visiting the restored place.
Land Ordinance of 1785
This is the Land Ordinance of 1785, as written by the Continental Congress. One of the few laws that survived the Articles of Confederation period.