Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis and Clark Expedition
(1804–1806)
   The first overland expedition of discovery across the United States to the Pacific Ocean and back, mandated by President Thomas Jefferson as the Corps of Discovery, following the Louisiana Purchase. Serving as the private secretary of President Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) was selected by Jefferson in 1803 to lead the expedition. Accompanying Lewis was Second Lieutenant William Clark (1770–1838) of the United States Army, a veteran of many Indian wars. They were instructed to forge business relations with tribes they encountered in the West. The president also asked them to record the plants, animals, minerals, and geography they encountered and in particular to determine whether there existed a transcontinental water route for westward expansion. Jefferson was concerned about establishing an American presence in the West, as British and Canadian trappers had made inroads there.
   Lewis and Clark, accompanied by approximately 50 men, spent the winter of 1803 in the St. Louis area. In the spring of 1804, they sailed up the Missouri River. In the winter they made it to what is now the Dakotas, and they camped among the Mandan Indian tribe. Early in 1805, they set out to cross the West. They were accompanied by Sacajawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who guided them across the Rockies. In November 1805, the party finally reached the Pacific Ocean. In July 1806, the expedition split into two groups, Lewis and his team turning back through Blackfoot territory while Clark returned through Crow territory. They eventually rejoined in present-day North Dakota where the Yellowstone River flows into the Missouri and arrived in St. Louis in September. Their explorations resulted in establishing relations with many Western tribes; discovering passages through the Rockies; and providing important botanical, zoological, and geological information about much of the West. The expedition was instrumental in opening the trans-Mississippi region to white settlement. In 1807, Jefferson appointed Lewis governor of the Louisiana Territory. Clark became the first governor of the Missouri Territory in 1813.
   See also <>.
   FURTHER READING:
    Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996;
    Dillon, Richard H. Meriwether Lewis: A Biography. Santa Cruz, CA: Western Tanager Press, 1988;
    Raum, Elizabeth. Meriwether Lewis. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004.
   GENE C. GERARD

Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800–1914. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition — Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia von Charles Marion Russell Die Lewis und Clark Expedition (14. Mai 1804 bis 23. September 1806) war die erste amerikanische Überlandexpedition zur Pazifikküste und zurück. Der Louisiana Landkauf im Jahre 1803 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition — ➡ Lewis and Clark * * * (1804–06) First overland expedition to the U.S. Pacific coast and back, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Initiated by Pres. Thomas Jefferson, the expedition set out to find an overland route to the Pacific,… …   Universalium

  • Lewis-and-Clark-Expedition —   [ luːɪs ənd klɑːk ], von T. Jefferson veranlasste Entdeckungsreise (1804 06) unter Hauptmann Meriwether Lewis (* 1774, ✝ 1809) und Leutnant William Clark (* 1770, ✝ 1838) von Saint Louis (Missouri) aus in den äußersten Nordwesten der USA… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition — This article is about the early 19th century expedition. For Lewis and Clark, see Lewis and Clark (disambiguation). Route of the expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition (1804–1806) was the first… …   Wikipedia

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition — noun an expedition sent by Thomas Jefferson to explore the northwestern territories of the United States; led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark; traveled from St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River from 1803 to 1806 • Instance Hypernyms …   Useful english dictionary

  • Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition — This is the timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the American West (1803 1806). [cite web | last = Jackson | first = Jill | url = http://www.lewisandclark.org/?p=exp timeline n=landcexp| title = A Timeline of the Lewis and Clark… …   Wikipedia

  • List of species described by the Lewis and Clark Expedition — The Lewis and Clark Expedition described 178 new plants and 122 species and subspecies of animals. AnimalsMammals*Discovered: ** Black tailed Dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) ** Bushy tailed Woodrat ( Neotoma cinerea ) ** Grizzly Bear ( Ursus arctos… …   Wikipedia

  • Lewis-und-Clark-Expedition — Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia von Charles Marion Russell Die Lewis und Clark Expedition (14. Mai 1804 bis 23. September 1806) war die erste amerikanische Überlandexpedition zur Pazifikküste und zurück. Der Louisiana Landkauf im Jahre 1803 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lewis and Clark (disambiguation) — Lewis and Clark, sometimes written as Lewis Clark, may refer to: * Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (explorer), two explorers of the western United States during the early 1800s. * The Lewis and Clark Expedition, the expedition led by the above …   Wikipedia

  • Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks — IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”