The missionaries went overland in 1834 with Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth, an American merchant who previously visited the Columbia River basin to enter the regional fur trade market.

Lee had applied to the London-based Wesleyan Missionary Society to proselytize to the First Nations of Canada but his application wasn't processed as Richard Watson, the secretary, had died.

The article quickly was given the attention of Willbur Fisk, President of the Wesleyan University, who tabled a proposal for the Methodist Church to establish a presence among the Salish.

[7] Lee didn't refrain from judging and comparing the various native cultures along the Columbia River basin while en route west.

"[8] The close to two thousand mile trek ended at the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) fur trading station of Fort Vancouver, where the missionaries wintered.

During their stay there Chief Factor John McLoughlin advised against creating a mission in interior Flathead land and instead recommended the nearby Willamette Valley.

After getting to know Pittman better, Lee changed his mind, writing, "I at length became convinced that she was eminently qualified to do all the duties and kind offices of an affectionate companion, and was worthy of my highest regards, esteem, and love".

Blocked out of the local fur trade by the HBC, pioneer Ewing Young began plans to create an alcohol distillery for sale to natives.

In a letter signed by residents of the valley, Young was requested to refrain from opening the distillery and offered to cover the costs of forfeiting the venture.

John McLoughlin welcomed the naval official and informed Jason Lee of his arrival, who met Slacum at Champoeg in January.

By this point, according to Brosnan, "Jason Lee's political acumen made him realize that a local provisional government was not the direction where lay Oregon's true interest.

[22] The delays in communication with the Board of Managers back in the United States eventually necessitated Lee to return there to give a more thorough description of the activities of the Mission.

The document requested that the American government establish rule over the regions of the Oregon Country south of the Columbia River and highlighted the potentials of trade with Asia and the Pacific.

Besides gathering funds for missionary work, Lee apparently left for the east as he had a "desire to promote" Oregon as a worthwhile place for colonization.

[23] Lee spent three weeks at the interior ABCFM missions run by Marcus Whitman and Henry H. Spalding while waiting for an escort from the HBC.

[24] Viewing the growing farms maintained by the Cayuse and Nez Perce, Jason considered them both "superior to those upon the Willamette [River] ..." despite the occasional whipping by the two missionaries.

[27] In correspondence with Representative Caleb Cushing Lee noted that if America were to control the area many of the laymen of the Mission would in time become permanent settlers, which did eventually occur as predicted.

During his time in the United States Lee went on several speaking tours throughout the nation along with a visit to his hometown in Canada to raise funds for the mission.

[31] After hearing the news that he was ejected as the superintendent from Marcus Whitman, who had recently returned from the United States, Lee went to meet the Board in person to defend himself.

In the meantime, Lee went to Washington, D.C., and had conferences with both President John Tyler and Senator Thomas H. Benton to present the land claims of the Oregon Mission.