Timothy L.

Merritt
UWRT 1102
Part Two: The Proposal
The four explorers I have chosen to research are David Crockett, Percy Fawcett, Jean
Francois de Galaup and Zheng He. Each one of these explorers is from a different country and
lived in a different period of history. The subject I chose to research allows me to discover the
motives of why these explore decided to seek an adventure and compare them to Chris
McCandless. This subject also allows me to view how the time period and the environment of
each explorer affected the methods of exploration they chose. This will provide a lot of compare
and contrast opportunities.
David Crockett was born in Greene County, East Tennessee, on August 17, 1786. He was a
frontiersman who explored Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, the Mississippi River area, and Texas.
His occupational careers included hunting, trapping, being a soldier (rank of Colonel), a
politician and an explorer. Crockett would die on March 6, 1836 at the Alamo in Texas. This was
during his exploration of the vast Texas territory seeking personal economic gain.
David Crockett like McCandless had a comfortable lifestyle. Why would they both up and
leave to go explore an unknown dangerous land? Well for Crockett it was possible economic
gain. For McCandless it was the excitement of just another adventure to add to his list. In the
end, they both would die on their final adventure.
Percy Fawcett was born on August 18, 1867. He would become an artillery officer, surveyor,
archaeologist, and explorer over his personal career. In 1901, he joined the Royal Geographical
Society. In 1906, Fawcett had his first expedition to South America. Over the next 19 years he
would revisit the continent another seven times. Eventually Fawcett began to get ideas about a
Lost City called Z by studying ancient history. Fawcett would disappear in 1925 while on the
trail of this mythical Lost City with his son Jack.
Percy Fawcett like McCandless enjoyed reading books and history. They both formed wild
imagines about an adventure that would ultimately lead to their deaths. Fawcett would study
ancient Brazilian stories which led to his belief in the Lost City he called Z. McCandless would
read books by Jack London that falsely misinformed him about the harm wilderness of Alaska.
McCandless would lucky be found after his death but Fawcetts death still remains a mystery.
Jean Francois de Galaup Navigator was born on August 22, 1741 in Albi, France. He joined
the French Navy at age 15. He fought in the American Revolutionary War gaining important
navigating skills during the campaign in the Hudson Bay. He later was selected to explore the
passages in the Bering Sea which had been unfinished by Captain James Cook. He would sail to
South American then through the Pacific. He was sighted off Botany Bay on January 24, 1788.
Galaup would sail from Botany Bay on March 10, 1788. He was never heard from again.
Galaup became a seaman who found his adventures on the sea ranging from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. McCandless would find his water adventures in the Colorado River

Timothy L. Merritt
UWRT 1102
which nearing got him killed. Galaup like McCandless was educated but Galaup was not out on
some reckless mission. He was out on an adventure that involved more than just himself
compared to McCandless. Galaup would disappear in 1788 but like McCandless the site of his
death was discovered later on.
Zheng He was born in 1371 in Kunyang, Yunnan, China. His career included being an
explorer, mariner, diplomat, fleet admiral, and court eunuch. His expeditions to South Asia,
Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East were unmatched by any other Chinese explorer.
He was the commander of a large treasure fleet and over twenty thousand men (Age 35). He died
during his seventh voyage in 1433 as his fleet was sailing east from Calicut. Zheng He would be
laid to rest at sea.
Zheng He would be raised by the Ming government trained in military ways. He would
become educated like McCandless. A difference between the two was that Zheng He explored
with the help of thousands of men under him. McCandless liked to explore solo. Zheng He died
on his last voyage like McCandless would on his last adventure.
I have decided to do this subject because of my interest in the history of explorers. I am
interested in what other explorers set out to accomplish and if their motive was similar to
McCandless. I am interested in how other explorers disappeared and whether they were
discovered like McCandless or never found. This subject allows me a lot of flexibility to search
for historic information and the ability to relate it to the book Into the Wild.
Questions?

What are the family backgrounds of all these explorers?

Why did my explorers choose to explore and risk their lives?

Why did my explorers become famous? What areas did they explore?

Was any trace ever found of the two explorers I choose who disappeared?

Who are some famous American explorers that disappeared?

Did all these explorers have family issues like McCandless?

Were all these explorers well educated like McCandless?

Were these explorers born into a exploring family or did they choose that life on their
own?

Did these explorers seek to return home or remain lost in exploring?

What were the long term effects of these explorers journeys?

Timothy L. Merritt
UWRT 1102

What future lessons or knowledge can be gained from these explorers?

Why is it so significant that these explorers died on their journeys?

Did their exploration influence future explorers in anyway?

What connections can be made between these explorers?

Primary Inquiry Questions

What connections can be made between these explorers?

Did their exploration influence future explorers in anyway?

Extended Research

National Geographic's Magazines

HistoryChannel.com

Articles

Journals

Books (UNCC Library)

Other resources in UNCC Library

Was any trace ever found of the two explorers I choose who disappeared? I believe this
question might be the most difficult to answer.

Timothy L. Merritt
UWRT 1102