Literature Study Guides for Catholic Students: The March of the Big Knives by Lowell Thomas

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Sunday, April 6, 2025

The March of the Big Knives by Lowell Thomas

While Washington was engaging the British across the Appalachians, George Rogers Clark was preparing an expedition in the West. Settlers had suffered too much from British-inspired Indian raids to stand for any more. The Indians had to be stopped; the British had to be smoked out of the Mississippi River lairs. Clark did it without firing a shot, the most unusual campaign in our military history.**

William Clark (1770-1838)

This short selection, "The March of the Big Knives" is a detail rich glimpse into the tactics of an intelligent and practical soldier -- turned explorer, Indian agent, and eventually a territorial governor during the infancy of the Americans Experiment.

About the author: Lowell Thomas (1892-1981), the author of The March of the Big Knives, is not chiefly known as an author of historical literature, but it might be said that, in his heyday, he could have been in the running for “World’s Most Interesting Man.” A short dive into his fascinating biography might be of interest to older students.

Rabbit Trails

* Biography of Lowell Thomas here.

* Biography of William Clark here.

* A lesson on foreshadowing, which is discussed in the Study Guide, can be found here.

Downloads

* Access Word Doc (.docx) Text for reading here.

* Find Word Doc (.docx) Study Guide here.

** From the preface of the text.

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