Description: (Explorer, Military personnel)
Zebulon Montgomery Pike was an American brigadier general and explorer famous for leading two expeditions across the Louisiana Purchase territory. His first expedition involved exploring the upper northern Mississippi River and the southwest, venturing near Spanish-colonial settlements. During his second expedition, Pike crossed the Rocky Mountains into southern Colorado before being captured by Spanish authorities. He wrote a well-received account of his expeditions, which was translated into multiple languages. Pike later became a brigadier general in the U.S. Army and served in the War of 1812 until his death in the Battle of York.