Lewis And Clark Expedition Essay

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson enlisted in the help of his secretary, Meriwether Lewis to explore the newly purchased Louisiana. Jefferson wanted to find out if there were any possible water routes to the Pacific, as well as beyond the Rocky Mountains in the west.

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson ordered Meriwether Lewis to be the leader of the discovery and William Clark to be his co-leader. They were to travel into the Louisiana Territory that they had purchased and learn more about the geography and to develop knowledge about the future expansion of the fur trade. Jefferson made supplies available such as clothing, firearms, and equipment which was set at a fixed amount. They were to observe and track the entire area and find out where they could find resources and stable settlement. Much of the land was unidentified but, Jefferson wanted to increase the amount of land to the Pacific to make the American claim more powerful. The expedition began in December of 1803 and Clark enlisted and instructed men near

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.

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.

Thomas Jefferson knew that Meriwether Lewis can do the expedition, but Lewis can’t do it by himself, so he asked William Clark to join him. The expedition is to find the all water route to the Pacific to buy the Louisiana territory to have the ports. Between May of 1804 and March of 1806 they succeeded for traveling 8,000 miles in 28 months to the Pacific Ocean.

One of the greatest journeys in American history is the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Under President Thomas Jefferson’s orders, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark went on an 8,000 mile journey westward. The lands Lewis, Clark, and their men explored were purchased from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Over the next three years the two men would discover new plants, animals, landmarks, negotiate with Indian Tribes, and clear the way for Americans to settle in the west. I chose to do my research paper over Lewis and Clark, because it is important to appreciate the amount of knowledge they gave to all of America. I find Lewis and Clark’s numerous discoveries fascinating, because animals like the ground hog, which is so common to us today, were unheard of back in their time. Lewis and Clark helped people see the west side of North America in a new light, and helped prepare settlers for the west by teaching them things unfathomable at the time.

This paper will explain why Lewis and Clark are two of the greatest explorers in American history. Some of the distinguishing factors of these explorers and the three main points in this paper are their exploration of the uncharted west by way of the Missouri river, the many discoveries made along the way, and the effect they had on the westward expansion of the United States.

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-

The Louisiana Purchase affected the boundaries of the U.S. because when Jefferson bought the land, the boundaries were not clear. Spain claimed the border was about one hundred miles west of the Mississippi River, while Jefferson was under the impression that it was around eight hundred miles further west, which was defined by the crest of the Rocky Mountains. This lead to four different government-funded expeditions. The first was in 1804 when Lewis and Clark led an expedition westward to determine the upper reaches of the Missouri River. Throughout the expedition Lewis and Clark were instructed to study the Indian culture, such as plants and animals. They were able to explore the Indian culture when they stayed their first winter in huts beside the Mandan Indians. Without the help from the Indians they would not have survived the winter. They also had to draw out the geography of the West. After the treacherous journey, they reached the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 1805. They made their journey back to St. Louis and arrived back in September 1806. The other three expeditions that took place between 1804 and 1806 were to determine the southwestern border. The first group went down the Red River to the Ouachita River, ending in current-day Arkansas. The second group went west into eastern Texas along the Red River and the third group ended up going too far into the Spaniard’s Territory, which caused them to get arrested and then released soon after.

The influence of the “Manifest Destiny” and the possible economic rewards were the driving force behind Jefferson’s desire to send Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to go on a three year expedition westwards to the Pacific Ocean in August of 1803. While the journey to the West provided Lewis and Clark was one that was both fascinating and difficult, the journey back home was one that was filled with obstacles. Some of the difficulties faced on the journey home can be attributed to the climate and topography of the land which are recorded in the journals of Lewis and Clark.

After being issued by President Thomas Jefferson to map, explore, and compile information on the land just bought through the Louisiana Purchase, Captain Meriwether Lewis and 2nd Lieutenant William Clark set off on one of the greatest expeditions of all time. This paper will explore what adversities were faced on the Corp of Discoveries. From militant Indians to diseases like dysentery, they faced it all. And as Captain Lewis documented, “We went as close to hell as you can go in this lifetime.” (11.Perry)

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.

After the War of 1812, the United States started to expand westward, also known as the Westward Expansion. In April of 1803, the United States purchased Louisiana from the French. The United States bought this land from the French for fifteen million dollars. All the land gained from the Louisiana Purchased doubled the size of the country. Before citizens could begin to move West, Thomas Jefferson sent two men, Louis and Clark, on an expedition. Louis and Clark were sent to explore the new land and to map a route to the Pacific Ocean. Thomas Jefferson asked the men to keep careful records of this land and to bring back important information about the geography and the people, which they successfully did.

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.

Christopher Columbus is a very important person in our country's history. He found the "New World," the one we live in today. He started the society that makes us who we are today, the society that allowed our ancestors to come to America and start the life that we live now. This whole world owes their lives to him. Columbus should always be remembered as a very important and very good person in history.