The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby Jones. Funding for the original expedition was requested by President John Quincy Adams in 1828; however, Congress would not implement funding until eight years later. In May 1836, the oceanic exploration voyage was finally authorized by Congress and created by President Andrew Jackson.
The USS Vincennes at Disappointment Bay in early 1840
Andes near Alparmarca, Peru: Sketched from an Elevation of 16,000 Feet, an illustration by Alfred Agate
The Peacock after hitting the bar of the Columbia River near Cape Disappointment in Washington state
Fuegians
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Fuegians are the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. The name has been credited to Captain James Weddell, who supposedly created the term in 1822.
Julius Popper with a killed Selk'nam. In the late 19th century some estancieros and gold prospectors launched a campaign of extermination against the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego.
Selk'nam people, c. 1915