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President Jefferson asked the expedition to study the Native American tribes living in the area as well as the plants, animals, geology and terrain of the region. The expedition was also to be a diplomatic one and aid in transferring power over the lands and the people living on them from the French and Spanish to the United States. In addition, President Jefferson wanted the expedition to find a direct waterway to the West Coast and the Pacific Ocean so westward expansion and commerce would be easier to achieve in the coming years.
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President Thomas Jefferson asked Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark to explore the new territory acquired with the of 1803?
The Louisiana Purchase*(:
Who asked Lewis and Clark to lead an exploration of the western US?
thomas jefferson
Why did president thomas jefferson ask captain meriwether lewis and lieutenant william clark to explore the new territory?
President Thomas Jefferson asked Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark to explore the new territory in an effort to have a realistic assessment of the resources the land had to offer as well as knowing how the land itself was laid out and the usability of it.
What were Lewis and Clark trying to do on there expedition?
Jefferson asked them to find a water route to the Pacific. They documented plants, animals, and observed the landscapes they crossed.
Why did President Jefferson send Lewis and Clark on an expedition?
Thomas Jefferson had dreamed of exploring the West for at least 20 years before he even became President. In 1783 he had even asked William Clark's brother, George, to take on the challenge. The Louisiana Purchase would later alter the character of the planned expedition from an exploration of French territory to a first glimpse of lands that, in the view of many contemporaries, were essential to maintaining the agrarian, republican character of the nation. After the territory of "Louisiane" was purchased in 1803, Jefferson saw his chance but by then George Clark was unwilling to go, therefore he asked Meriwether Lewis, his secretary of state, to go on the journey. William Clark would meet up with Lewis weeks later at Camp Dubois before the the two headed to St. Louis. Because Jefferson wanted to have another exploration that would hopefully succeed. To explore the Louisiana purchase.
