Page "John C. Frémont" Paragraph 27

In 1848 Frémont and his father-in-law Sen. Benton developed a plan to advance their vision of Manifest Destiny, as well as restore Frémont's honor after his court martial.

With a keen interest in the potential of railroads, Sen. Benton had sought support from the Senate for a railroad connecting St. Louis to San Francisco along the 38th parallel, the latitude which both cities approximately share.

After Benton failed to secure federal funding, Frémont secured private funding.

In October 1848 he embarked with 35 men up the Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas rivers to explore the terrain.