Explorers, Pioneers, and Frontiersmen
Lewis and Clark Expedition
1804-1806
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson successfully requested $2,500 from Congress for exploration of the trans-Mississippi west, land soon to become part of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase. The president helped to plan an expedition and appointed his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead it. Lewis selected William Clark to share command over the crew of 40 soldiers, boatmen and hunters.
Jefferson's aims were to assess the new lands' commercial possibilities, military prospects, and regional flora and fauna. Uppermost, it was hoped that a Northwest Passage, comprising rivers and portages, would be discovered for easy access to the Pacific. The expedition left from St. Louis in late May 1804, proceeded up the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains and down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. There they established Fort Clatsop near the present site of Astoria, Oregon. The trek was arduous in the extreme, but only one life was lost (a ruptured appendix) over the course of 28 months and 8,000 miles on the trail. The findings of the expedition made the nation face the harsh reality that no easy all-water route to the Pacific existed. Nonetheless, the extensive information gained about the natural features, peoples, and resources of the new lands would help attract thousands of hardy pioneers in the following decades.
Off-site search results for "Lewis and Clark Expedition"... PBS - THE WEST - The Lewis and Clark Expedition
... Coronado Indian Territory Lewis and Clark Nez Percé Retreat Oregon Trail The Lewis and Clark Expedition Traveling mainly by river, Lewis and Clark began their journey up the Missouri in 1804, reached its navigable limitsLewis and Clark Expedition Traveling mainly by river, Lewis and Clark began their journey up the Missouri in 1804, reached its navigable limits above Great Falls and ...
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/places/trails_ter/lewis.htm
Sacagawea of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
By Quig Nielsen The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06 was the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Thomas Jefferson, and the success of that incredible enterprise owes much to its two leaders, the scientific-minded MeriwetLewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06 was the fulfillment of a longtime dream of Thomas Jefferson, and the success of that incredible enterprise owes much to its two leaders, the scientific-minded Meriwether Lewis and the more ...
http://www.historynet.com/we/blsacagaweaofthelcexpedition
Representing The Army’s Role In The Lewis And Clark Expedition
... they can use for public speaking engagements on the role of the Army in the Lewis and Clark expedition. These speeches were tailored for a range of audiences, to include Community Relations, Public Schools, and InternLewis and Clark expedition. These speeches were tailored for a range of audiences, to include Community Relations, Public Schools, and Internal Army Communications ...
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/LC/Explore/role.htm
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