Isaac Strain facts for kids
Isaac Grier Strain was born on March 4, 1821, in Roxbury, Pennsylvania. He came from a Scots-Irish family. He passed away on May 14, 1857, in Aspinwall, Colombia (which is now Colón, Panama).
When he was 17, Isaac joined the U.S. Navy. He started as a midshipman, which is like a young officer in training at sea.
A Life of Exploration
Isaac Strain loved exploring new places. In 1843 (or 1845, some say), he led an expedition into the middle of Brazil. Later, in 1848, he explored the Lower California peninsula. He worked with a group that was mapping the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
In 1850, he was promoted to lieutenant. Isaac Strain was also a member of important scientific groups, like the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. In 1849, he explored parts of South America. He wrote a book about his travels called Cordillera and Pampa, Mountain and Plain: Sketches of a Journey in Chili and The Argentine Provinces in 1849. It was published in New York in 1853.
The Darién Expedition
At this time, the United States was growing. People believed in something called Manifest Destiny. This was the idea that the U.S. should expand all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
U.S. President Franklin Pierce had a big idea: he wanted to find a way to build a canal across the Isthmus of Darién. This narrow strip of land, also known as the Darién Gap, is in Colombia (now Panama). A canal would make it much easier for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans without going all the way around South America.
In late 1853, the Secretary of the Navy, James C. Dobbin, ordered Lieutenant Strain to lead a special team. This team was called the Darien Exploring Expedition, and their mission was to explore the Isthmus of Darién.
Challenges in the Jungle
Lieutenant Strain's expedition began on January 20, 1854. They started from the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Darién. The Darién jungle was very dense and difficult to travel through. Other countries like France and England had also sent explorers there.
An English explorer named Gisborne had written journals about the area. However, these journals were not very accurate and ended up misleading Strain's team. Because of this, Strain's party got lost and wandered in circles.
The expedition faced many tough challenges. Their equipment broke down, and their local guides were sometimes unreliable or dangerous. They didn't have enough food, and their feet became very sore. They also suffered from tropical diseases and tiny parasites that got under their skin. Sadly, six members of Strain's team of 27 died from starvation.
Even though it was a very difficult journey, the expedition was important. Their efforts helped future explorers understand the land better. This knowledge eventually led to the building of land routes, a railroad, and finally, the Panama Canal. The canal was completed in 1914, which was 60 years after Strain's brave but challenging expedition.
