From pre-colonial times to the post-industrial age, rivers have shaped the course of American history and culture. Take a fascinating historical journey down the greatest rivers in the United States and learn how they have influenced the people and communities that live and work on them. The histories of these rivers include many of the notable names in American history, such as Lewis & Clark, John Colter, Zebulon Pike, and Tecumseh. The Columbia flows 1,250 miles from its source high in the mountains of British Columbia to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean. It is the only passageway to the interior of North America from the Pacific. The Columbia River was destined to be the primary route for early nineteenth-century traders and settlers.