Thomas Jefferson had dreamed of exploring the west for at least 20 years before he even became President. The Louisiana Territory had been a land purchase transaction by the United States of America of 828,800 square miles of the French territory 'Louisiane' in 1803. After finally purchasing the Louisiana Territory, Jefferson requested $2500 from Congress and commissioned Capt. Meriwether Lewis (his Secretary of State) to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory.
Jefferson's instruction to Lewis were:
"Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take observations of latitude and longitude at all remarkable points on the river, & especially at the mouths of rivers, at rapids, at islands & other places & objects distinguished by such natural marks & characters of a durable kind, as that they may with certainty be recognized hereafter....The variations of the compass too, in different places should be noticed."
(considering the Native Americans) "...You will therefore endeavor to make yourself acquainted, as far as diligent pursuit of your journey shall admit with the names of the nations & their numbers, the extent & limits of their possessions; their relations with other tribes or nations; their language, traditions, monuments, their ordinary occupations in agriculture, fishing, hunting, war, arts & the implements for these, their food, clothing, & domestic accommodations, the diseases prevalent among them, & the remedies they use, moral and physical circumstance which distinguish them from the tribes they know, particularities in their laws, customs & dispositions, and articles of commerce they may need or furnish & to what extent."
"Other objects worthy of notice will be the soil & face of the country, it's growth & vegetable productions, especially those not of the US; the animals of the country generally & especially those not known in the US; the remains & accounts of any which may be deemed rare or extinct; the mineral productions of every kind, but more particularly metals, limestone, pit coal & saltpetre, salines & mineral waters, noting the temperature of the last & such circumstances as may indicate their character; volcanic appearances; climate as characterized by the thermometer, by the proportion of rainy, cloudy & clear days, by lightening, hail, snow, ice, by the access & recess of frost, by the winds, prevailing at different seasons & the dates at which particular plants put forth or lose their flower or leaf, times of appearance of particular birds, reptiles or insects."
There was a disease in the Lewis and Clark expedition
Yes someone did get lost on the Lewis and Clark expedition.
thomas jefferson told them to go on the expedition
At the time of their expedition, Lewis was 29 years old and Clark was 33. Clark was among the oldest in the group, but it would be Toussaint Charbonneau who would be the youngest.
Meriwether Lewis was 29 years old and William Clark was 33.
Lewis and Clark's goals for their expedition were to explore and map the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase territory, establish diplomatic relations with Native American tribes, and find a water route linking the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. They were also tasked with studying the region's plants, animals, and geography.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition achieved the main goal of finding a route up navigable rivers to the Pacific Ocean. They reached that goal on November 15, 1805.
Meriwether Lewis was in charge and William Clark came as his assistant. But the Lewis And Clark Expedition is still know as The Lewis And Clark Expedition.
Lewis and Clark are the captains of this expedition
There was a disease in the Lewis and Clark expedition
Lewis & Clark began their expedition in 1804.
While the Lewis and Clark expedition faced food shortages and periods of hunger, starvation was not a constant threat. The expedition's members frequently relied on hunting, foraging, and trading with Native American tribes to supplement their supplies. Overall, careful planning and resourcefulness helped them manage their food resources effectively.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition achieved the main goal of finding a route up navigable rivers to the Pacific Ocean. They reached that goal on November 15, 1805.
The Lewis and Clark expedition consisted of 33 individuals. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the leaders.
Meriwether Lewis was the one who found the Lewis and Clark expedition journals.
Lewis and Clark did, hence the expedition's name. Clark was supposed to be second banana, but Lewis wanted him to co-lead the expedition. Lewis let Clark co-lead as soon as they left.
Lewis and Clark got back from there expedition on February 22nd