The series of expeditions he would later lead through 1859 were to be known as the Palliser Expeditions, or officially, the British North American Exploring Expedition, which although involved some travel west of the Rockies, was mostly limited to the east side of the Continental Divide. Palliser's earlier travels were credited for being a vital forerunner to the European settlement of the Prairies [of central Canada], providing volumes of information on the resources of this vast region.