S8 Ep790: 2. Headline: George Washington, Land Speculation, and the Heart of Darkness Theme Guest Author: Robert G. Parkinson Parkinson explores the theme of "bewilderment" on the American frontier, drawing parallels to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. He suggest

2. Headline: George Washington, Land Speculation, and the Heart of Darkness Theme Guest Author: Robert G. Parkinson Parkinson explores the theme of "bewilderment" on the American frontier, drawing parallels to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. He suggests the American backcountry was a "dark place" where dreams of empire and land speculation often led to horror. A central figure in this narrative is George Washington, who was a partner in the Ohio Company alongside the Cresup family. This private venture sought to settle hundreds of thousands of acres at the forks of the Ohio, a move that alarmed the French and precipitated global conflict. Washington's early military failures were deeply entwined with these commercial interests. 2
1753