The explorations of Virginia's colonial hinterland to its  convergence with the Ohio River valley, undertaken by a group of intrepid  17th-century Virginia pioneers, are among the least understood accomplishments  of our history. Within these pages are printed the sources of information  concerning the western explorations of these Virginians, and they leave no doubt  about the events. The leaders of these expeditions included Abraham Wood in the  1650s, the German physician John Lederer in the late 1660s, Thomas Batts and  Robert Fallam in 1671, and James Needham and Gabriel Arthur in 1673. Authors  Alvord and Bidgood recount the stories of the various expeditions, demonstrating  how the interplay of economic motive and love of adventure conspired to lay the  groundwork for colonial Virginia's claim on much of the Ohio territory.