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This lecture talked about people who explored the Great Plains. The Spanish, French, and Americans all explored different areas of the Plains. The Spanish came and searched the southern part of the Great Plains in hopes of finding a great amount of wealth. However, when they didn't find gold they saw nothing that made the Plains a place where they cared to be. It wasn't promising enough. The French wanted to come to the Plains to trade goods. Some French such as the people involved in the Verendrye expedition traveled from Canada to the Dakotas and just like the Spanish found nothing that they thought was worth anything. The Americans didn't think that the Plains were anything to value. However, they used it to travel and becuase of that towns developed. These people thought of the Great Plains as nothing more than just a dry desert with no value. Louis and Clark's goal to discover the Northwest Passage was one of the most famous travels in history. This goal was never reached...it was just a myth. Louis and Clark actually tried to explore for more things and again didn't succeed. I think that the part about Louis and Clark was definately the most interesting to listen to. I learned about Louis and Clark in high school but this was so much better and more in depth. However the one thing that I still question is how people found "nothing" on this land and how it has developed into so much today. Personally, I think that the Plains are very intersting in terms of regions and cultures in them.