The document discusses the history of control over the Trans-Missouri West from 1541 to the early 1800s by Spain, France, Britain, and the United States. It then summarizes the objectives of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and other early expeditions in the region. Finally, it outlines the establishment of missionary efforts among various Native American tribes in the region by Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics, and Methodists between 1831 and the 1850s.