Essay Meriwether Lewis the Leader

     Throughout all of our years that we are taught about world history, we are led to believe that Columbus was one of the greatest explorers of all time. In my mind there is no question about whether Christopher Columbus discovered America; of course he did, its Columbus! However, this is a highly debated issue and through writings by authors Jeffery Hart and James W. Loewen we will investigate the true importance of Columbus.

Christopher Columbus discovered America or “the new world.” He was a navigator, explorer, and colonizer.

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

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.

This report is on Lewis and Clark's adventure through the United States. On May 14,1803 William Clark and nearly four dozen other men met up with Meriwether Lewis on May 20. The Lewis and Clark

Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark put their lives on the line only to return with information regarding the Pacific Northwest of the United States territory. Their reasons behind this journey, being to expand the United States to the West, involved the entire nation but debatably, their accomplishments and the reaction of others became a major part of today’s history.

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.

The Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark expeditions, the establishment of a national road, and the philosophy

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

Meriwether Lewis played a vital role in finding Louisiana. He went through a life-threatening journey with William Clark, but it payed off. He became the governor of Louisiana, promoted by Jefferson. But, on October 11th, 1809, Lewis was gruesomely murdered at the Grinder Inn. His murder has been ruled a suicide for decades, but as more people investigate this case, it's evident that suicide is not what happened.

He attended West Point as a cadet until he broke a plate over Jubal Early’s head, which led to his dismissal in 1836. Along with the misconduct, he had troubles academically with French class. After his dismissal he was still able to attain a spot in the Sixth US Infantry as second lieutenant on July 10, 1839 from George Armistead’s help. Later he was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1844 after serving under his father in the Second Seminole War. Lewis then married his wife Cecilia Lee Love later that year. According to militaryhistory.about.com Cecilia was a distant cousin of Robert E. Lee. They had two children named Walker Keith and Flora Lee. After their marriage, Lewis and Cecilia

Meriwether Lewis was born August 18, 1774 near Charlottesville and Ivy Virginia. When he was a child he spent a lot of time in the wilderness. He gained the love to hunt and explore. At a young age Meriwether fought in the Whiskey Rebellion. He became a soldier and ranked up to be a officer in the fight against the Indians in the New Territory. He learned to languages of some Indian Tribes. When it came time to exploring the new Territory Thomas Jefferson purchased. Meriwether co-captained the exploration in the land finding new plants,animals,terrains, and making maps of the new land. He was named the new governor of the Louisiana Territory. When on his way to going to Washington when he died at his hotel. Meriwether Lewis died in Hohenwald

Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 or 1757 (the exact date is unknown) in Charlestown, Nevis,

The changes brought on by these new explorers were vast ranging from depletion of local population due to unfamiliar European diseases to new settlements to increased harvesting of resources. There were also treaties made with the native Indians for land or goods. Still seeking the Northwest Passage, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began an expedition to the Oregon coast in 1804. While still failing to find that passage, they do explore more of the west and PNW than anyone up to that time. Among journals of native plants, native people, and many maps that opened the way for settlers, Lewis and Clark opened the way for trade with their revelation that the