Comparing Lewis And Clark

Meriwether Lewis is the main reason that the United States’ territory extends from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific Ocean (“Meriwether Lewis” 2). He has done many great things, but he is best known for exploring the American West (1). He was a great man full of bravery. Meriwether faced tons of dangers in his life but he overcame all of them. Lewis “helped change the face of the United States by exploring uncharted territory- the American West (“Meriwether Lewis” 2).”

In 1800 Thomas Jefferson was elected president. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Jefferson had the vision of the United States growing from sea to sea. However, it was unknown what was out there. Jefferson planned an exploratory expedition and called upon Meriwether Lewis to lead it. Jefferson was very interested in what was in the west lands. Much was involved in the carrying out of this expedition; the preparations for this trip, what happened during their long journey west, and the return home. This expedition was very important in the development of the United States.

The expedition of Lewis and Clark was a landmarking event in American history, but its significance goes beyond just the land they discovered.The Lewis and Clark Expedition was put forward so the two would be able to see and map out western America in search of new trade routes and passages. Lewis and Clark would have doubtfully survived had it not been with the aid of the Indians they met on their travels. Upon their controversial meetings with several Indian groups, Lewis and Clark were not respectful to the Americans they met on their journey. The controversial messages behind the peace metals, the reference to the Indians as “children”, and the physical

In two years, Lewis, Clark, and all of the men that traveled with them did the impossible. They mapped the territory, collected ample samples of flora and fauna, and made peace with the various Indian tribes, all while keeping more than thirty men alive in the wilderness. If they hadn’t been efficient packers and effective diplomats, none of this would have been possible. Their journey was a huge success, and all of the men made it back alive, despite risking themselves several times by splitting up. The journey of Lewis and Clark will be remembered for centuries to come, and rightfully so.

The question arises of why Thomas Jefferson commenced the great expedition of Lewis and Clark. “ Jefferson wanted to form an expedition that were able to gather valuable information about Western Indians while living at peace with them” (Ronda 1). This was important because the people that were going to move into the Louisiana territory had to make sure they had peace with the Native American. If people take away the Native’s food source, or destroy the materials they make a living out of, is going to cause conflict between the two. “The expedition was fashioned to explore the vast wilderness of what is now North Western United States. It was sponsored by the United States government and was led by U.S. army officers

The Lewis and Clark expedition was a truth that was to become the crowning accomplishment in the lifetime of the brilliant thinker, inventor, and founding father, Thomas Jefferson . It has become a profounding turning point throughout America’s history. Investigating the recently obtained Louisiana Territory, which nearly doubled the size of the country, arranged Jefferson the opportunity to widen the boundaries of the United States to include both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The threat of the unknown lay ahead for Lewis and Clark’s team. The explorers had no idea what they would e be confronted with on their journey, but still they advanced into the unknown area that could officially be called part of America. Thanks to the addition of Lewis, Clark, their essential guide Sacajawea, and the many men that traveled with them America was able to expose land as well as providing important information about the topography, the biological studies, the ecology, and the studies of the American Indian as they discovered the mysteries of the Louisiana Purchase. Although it was a treacherous and costly journey, the Lewis and Clark expedition was the most important exploration in American history.

In 1804 I was asked by Thomas Jefferson to go to our newly purchase the Louisiana territory. I left in 1804 with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find a northwest passage and tell the Native Americans that we own the newly purchased Louisiana territory. Lewis, Clark, and I also found many new plants and animal life. After we discovered that there was not a northwest passage we started going back home. This expedition was very long it took us 2 years and 4 months.

The foremost reason behind the Lewis and Clark expedition was all based on Thomas Jefferson’s, president at the time, interest in expanding the West since before the 1803 Louisiana Purchase in France. Even as a child, Jefferson was always curious and interested. Jefferson believed that if he could enlarge the United States to the West it would be guaranteed that the United States would survive and would have a stronger government. Thomas Jefferson had chosen various candidates to send to explore to the West, due to him being busy being the president. Each candidate Jefferson chose, did not seem to be fit for the job. In around 1802, Jefferson read a book on Alexander Mackenzie who previous traveled from Canada to the Pacific Ocean and then back. After reading the book he told his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, about the book and Mackenzie’s accomplishments. Lewis decided to take the challenge of following the footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie and make that same journey. Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis to Philadelphia to be tutored and taught to survive during the journey. Lewis then hand-picked

On May 14, 1804 in the eastern city of Saint Louis, William Clark and Merry-weather Lewis set of on the westward adventure that would change America as we know it today. Their journey began on the Mississippi River, those rapids would propel Lewis and Clark into the "Corps of Discovery". Across the vast land that these men would soon travel lived the many native-american tribes. The Native people hunted freely across their western lands, lived their life as one with the ground they so carefully treaded on. Soon, the great American adventurers and the native people would meet, but one brought with them the foreshadowing of a new era. An era when American life would be greatly improved with new natural resources and plentiful free land, but only at the cost of ruining the native american people of their way of life. The Lewis and Clark Expedition expanded the knowledge and lifestyle of America but began the elimination of the original American natives way of life and culture.

Exploration has always been a central theme in the development of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase, in 1803, made the government more eager to expand west. The newly acquired lands were in need of exploration. A team needed to be established to survey and document the new territory. The Lewis and Clark expedition would answer the unknown questions of the west. The expedition would not have been successful without the leadership, determination, discipline of the Corps of Discovery, and the cooperation of the Native Americans. President Jefferson wanted the leader to have the same passion and intensity toward the discovery of the west as he possessed. Jefferson hand-

Not unlike George Washington and the Founding Fathers, who were also handpicked by God, now-President Andrew Jackson selected, tailored, and targeted by Deity as the man who must save the American union to fulfill the Divine Will of a set-apart, free nation. But at first the Indian War took many twists and turns. Prior to the War of 1812 as far back as August 31st, 1803 Thomas Jefferson, now President, sent Lewis and Clark Westward to explore the land beyond the Mississippi River. In preparation, this voyage proceeded from Pittsburgh PA to Louisville KY to St. Louis, MO. At the same time, President Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris to meet with Napoleon to purchase the French territory for 80,000 francs. This vast landscape, later known as the Louisiana Purchase, geo/politically doubled the size of the American territory. Enroute, the Indians encountered by Lewis and Clark played a mixed role, some, the Sioux and Blackfoot, were unfriendly, some, the Shoshone, were helpful. The Indian teenage wife of one of the explorers, a Shoshone squaw, played a key role in the success of this mission. She acted as a translator. On November 7th 1805, after a death-defying journey of a year and a half and over 4000 miles, the Lewis and Clark expedition reached the Pacific Ocean and opened up all kinds of economic and political possibilities for the soon-to-be manifest destiny of a bulging

The expeditions of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the newly purchased Louisiana Territory radically shaped American scientific knowledge as well as relationships with Indians. The framework for their expedition was laid far before they first set sail from the mouth of the Missouri River is 1804. In 1801, France reacquired its North-American “Louisiana territory” from Spain after a series of secret deals with Spain brokered by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Almost immediately, US trade at the port of New Orleans was blocked, enraging many Americans. Realizing that this presented a bottleneck on US expansion and trade, president Thomas Jefferson sent his Secretary of State, James Monroe, to Paris to discuss the possibility of purchasing the territory.

Since the beginning of time people have searched far and wide of new opportunities in new lands that could bring them riches or fresh insight. Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took the risk of life, limb, and liberty to bring back valuable information of the Pacific Northwest of the United States territory. Their accomplishment of surviving the journey and returning with the collected data to the U.S. government has completely turned our history around but some historians argue that “it produced nothing useful”. Lewis and Clarks expedition is one of the most well-known adventures of Americas frontier and it has produced the American destiny. It began with a bid from Jefferson’s emissaries in Paris to buy the vital trading port of New Orleans.

For the United States the Lewis and Clark expedition was significant because this was the first journey to cross the western part of the United States all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark explored the newly attained lands from the Louisiana Purchase and established a U.S. presence. To the Native Americans this expedition was the beginning of an end. Their lives would change forever by their contact with the fur traders, soldiers, and missionaries that follow in the wake of the Lewis and Clark

Within the time period of 1801- 1809 Thomas Jefferson was President and participated in the Louisiana Purchase. America bought 820,000 square miles from France. (All land that stretched from the Mississippi river, in total 15 states were bought from the purchase.) With this amount of un-known land, Jefferson called for an exploration and hired Meriwether Lewis, Jefferson’s secretary, due to his penmanship and frontiersman skills. Lewis grew up in Virginia and served in the United States Army along with William Clark. When Lewis was asked to command the expedition he then appointed Clark to be leader along with him. Clark also grew up in Virginia, and was known for his skills in map making and guiding the men. Jefferson was hoping to find a waterway connecting the Colombia and Missouri Rivers, by doing this the waterways would then connect the Pacific Ocean and the Mississippi River. Thus making trade across America more productive. Because of the Louisiana Purchase America desired to understand their land to not only adapt to it, but to use it in the most effective way. Within this necessary journey, men risk their lives to shape and educate America through their documentation kept and inspiring story.