Description Of Lewis And Clark Expedition

The expedition that Lewis and Clark had been on was a trip to the Pacific or the west. The President at the time was Thomas Jefferson and he wanted to explore and expand his country after receiving Louisiana from the French. So Jefferson asked his personal secretary, whose name was Meriwether Lewis to go on a journey along the Missouri River from St. Louis. Lewis. Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774 in the colony of Virginia and he was an explorer, soldier, and a public administrator. But Lewis did not just agree to the expedition he wanted his best friend to come with him on the expedition and his name was William Clark. William Clark was born on August 1, 1770 only four years younger than Lewis and he was also from the colony of Virginia. He was explorer and a soldier as well as Lewis but he was a Indian agent and a territorial governor. And when they decided to leave on their journey they had about 40 members in their group including a man by the name York. York was a slave that they brought along on the trip for the hard and manual labor that they had to do on the expedition.

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 began on May 21,1804. Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774 in Albemarle County, Virginia. Lewis met Clark in 1795 in the army. Lewis was asked to be Thomas Jefferson’s private secretary in 1801. Clark was born on August 1, 1770 near Caroline County, Virginia. Clark first entered the military at age 19 and served in the militia. Lewis asked Clark for help on the exploration and made him co-captain. With purchasing land from France called the Louisiana Purchase in April 1803, Jefferson wanted to find a water route that linked Columbia and the Missouri river, connected Pacific Ocean with the Missouri river system, and gave Western land access to port out of Mexico to the East. President also wanted to know what the land he recently bought was like. Lewis and Clark’s expedition immediately got easier with the help of Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea on November 4, 1804. Sacagawea and her husband helped the exploration run more smoothly without the chance of misunderstanding with the Native American tribes. When Lewis and Clark returned to president Jefferson, they were treated as national heroes. They received gifts such as double pay. The men on the expedition

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

Either way, Lewis was the man for the job. He had skill as a gentleman, politician and military officer as well as skill with the sciences and all the knowledge of Indians as could be found. With his friend William Clark as his equal for the journey, they spent the fall and winter in preparation. Jefferson had given Lewis a “blank check” with the understanding that he should buy what he needed and the U.S. government would pay the bill, despite the fact that only $2500 had originally been approved by congress before the formal purchase of the Louisiana Territory. (Jefferson)

The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the United States in 1803. Jefferson decided to buy the land because he wanted to increase the United States’s territory towards the Pacific ocean and to avoid a war with the French. Due to the purchase, Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new unfamiliar land with three goals. The goals were to makes maps of the newly bought territory and find a river passage to the Pacific ocean, make peace with the Native American, and to record and send back discoveries of new plant and animal life that lived within the Louisiana Territory. These were the goals that Lewis and Clark had to achieve.

Meriwether Lewis was a confidant of Thomas Jefferson, who was the 3rd President of the United States. When Jefferson bought Louisiana from Bonaparte, the federal government thought that the land purchased was a “worthless desert.” To prove them wrong, Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark’s Mission of Discovery. The expedition went on for 2 years with 3 goals in mind. When Lewis and Clark came back from the expedition, Jefferson put Lewis as the governor of upper Louisiana. Lewis also informed Jefferson of the expedition, and attempted to publish his book. Coming back into Louisiana as the governor, he dealt with financial issues. In D.C., it was rumored that he was embezzling money from Louisiana.

During the Jeffersonian era in American history expansion of the United States was ever present. Under the presidency of Jefferson, this was no exception. In 1803, Jefferson purchased a large tract of land west of the Mississippi river that was owned by France. Jefferson jumped at this opportunity to expand the country, encourage farming, and trade. Even before the Louisiana Purchase Jefferson wanted to explore what was west of the Mississippi. But because of the relations of the countries who owned or inhabited the territory it could potentially be hostile. So when this territory became available Jefferson wanted it. Before it was officially purchased Jefferson wanted a group of men to go explore this territory and write about the flora, fauna, soil, and if there was an economic trade route to the ocean. To lead this group Jefferson enlisted his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis. Lewis then chose men who he deemed fit for the endeavor, one of which was William Clark who would be captain alongside Lewis. Once the Corps of Discovery spent the first winter

The Louisiana Purchase was a major event in the growth of the United States of America. Purchased from France for 15 million by Thomas Jefferson in 1803, it gave America twice the available land, adding 827,000 square miles. Some may argue the Louisiana Purchase is unconstitutional, but Jefferson found a way around that. The Constitution says land may be acquired through treaties such as the Louisiana Purchase. After the accusation of the Louisiana Territory, Jefferson had an expedition lead by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The goal of the expedition was to map the new territory and find a quicker path to the Pacific Ocean. The entire expedition lasted a little longer than two years to complete.

The Lewis and Clark expedition, or Corps of Discovery, began with the Louisiana Purchase. After the Louisiana Territory was in the possession of the United States, President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on a trip west to learn more about the new area. The goals of the expedition were to study the Native Americans living in the area as well as the plants, animals, and land of the region. Most importantly, Jefferson wanted the expedition to find out if there was a river that connected the Pacific Ocean to the eastern states. The Corps of Discovery set out on their mission in May 1804 and traveled up the Missouri River.

On February 11, 1805 Sacagawea gives birth to a baby boy, Jean Baptiste. in present day North Dakota with the help of Captain Lewis and some rattlesnake tail. 54 days later Sacagawea wrapped Jean Baptiste onto a cradleboard, strapped him on her back and they began the journey to the West coast. Lewis and Clark send the keelboat and approx. a dozen men back downriver, with maps, reports, Indian artifacts and other scientific specimens for Jefferson. The remaining party heads west. On July 3,1806 they have crossed the Bitterroots again, the expedition breaks into smaller groups in order to explore more of the Louisiana Territory. Clark and his group head down the Yellowstone River, while Lewis takes the shortcut to the Great Falls, and then

With the current of the Missouri behind them, they are able to cover over 70 miles per day. The expedition also begins meeting boats of American traders heading upriver.At the end of the Lewis and Clark adventure, Captain Clark made an offer to Sacagawea to help raise Jean Baptiste in St. Louis and to give him an education. Sacagawea took him up on the offer and brought Jean Baptiste to St. Louis in 1809, when he was four years old Jean Baptiste had a few jobs in his lifetime, most were in the great outdoors, hunting, fishing and guiding. One of the few office jobs Jean Baptiste held was that of a public administrator and judge in California. He had a hard time in the position, because he didn't care for the way the local ranchers treated

Jefferson provided Lewis and Clark with many supplies. He provided nothing short of the best quality materials of the time. This included clothing, firearms, rations, and other various equipment. He not only provided them with materials, but also with workers and sailors to aid them along in their journey. There was also a slave named York. Jefferson instructed Lewis and Clark to put on record any possible resources which could sustain further settlement along the lines. The Louisiana Purchase had almost doubled the size of the nation. It was 1803 when they made the intelligent investment.

Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery took place from 1803 to 1806, which are the years during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. They described

The first main event of the Jeffersonian Era was expansion. During 1803, the French occupied the terrain westward of the Appalachian mountains. There were rumors that the French desired to expand their empire and take control of the United States territory. This causes Jefferson and other republicans becoming worried about the future of the United States. As a result, Jefferson ordered Robert Livingston, the American ambassador to France, to negotiate a price for the Louisiana area. The French at the time, however, were at war with the British