Independence! — Dana Fuller Ross

1837--A dauntless band of pioneering men and women set out from Long Island and headed west to Independence, Missouri. Their mission--to win the rich Oregon territory for America. This is their story, a stirring saga of triumph and tragedy, of love and loss, of adventure and romance, of a future glittering with the brave hope of a new land.

INDEPENDENCE! Above all, this turbulent novel is the tale of a fiery young widow, Claudia Humphries and the bold wagon master, Sam Brentwood, whose destiny it was to command the first leg of the remarkable journey. Traveling under secret orders from President Andrew Jackson, Brent-wood's task was to win a desperate race against England and Russia, and to bring the great promised land of the Pacific Northwest under the American flag.