Lewis and Clark Expedition

In April 1803, The United States, under President Thomas Jefferson, purchased 828,000 square miles (2,144,510 square km) of land from France. This land acquisition is commonly known as the Louisiana Purchase.

The lands included in the Louisiana Purchase were those west of the Mississippi River but they were largely unexplored and therefore completely unknown to both the U.S. and France at the time. Because of this, shortly after the purchase of the land President Jefferson requested that Congress approve $2,500 for an exploratory expedition west.

Once Congress approved the funds for the expedition, President Jefferson chose Captain Meriwether Lewis as its leader. Lewis was chosen mainly because he already had some knowledge of the west and was an experienced Army officer. After making further arrangements for the expedition, Lewis decided he wanted a co-captain and selected another Army officer, William Clark.

The goals of this expedition, as outlined by President Jefferson, were 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.

The Expedition

Lewis and Clark's expedition officially began on May 21, 1804 when they and the 33 other men making up the Corps of Discovery departed from their camp near St. Louis, Missouri. The first portion of the expedition followed the route of the Missouri River during which, they passed through places such as present-day Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska.

Achievements of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Although Lewis and Clark did not find a direct waterway from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, their expedition brought a wealth of knowledge about the newly purchased lands in the west. For example, the expedition provided extensive facts on the Northwest's natural resources. Lewis and Clark were able to document over 100 animal species and over 170 plants. They also brought back information on the size, minerals and the geology of the area.

In addition, the expedition established relations with the Native Americans in the region, one of President Jefferson's main goals. Aside from the confrontation with the Teton Sioux, these relations were largely peaceful and the Corps received extensive help from the various tribes they met regarding things like food and navigation.

For geographical knowledge, the Lewis and Clark expedition provided widespread knowledge about the topography of the Pacific Northwest and produced more than 140 maps of the region.

==========================

Why did Lewis and Clark make this trip?

President Thomas Jefferson had long wanted to see what the lands of western North America were like. TO

How good a guide was Sacagawea?

She was hired as an interpreter of the Shoshone language, not as a guide. Although the captains hadn't planned it, she was a sign of peaceful intention to Indian nations, since women didn't travel with war parties. Three times she recognized landmarks in her home country of southeastern Montana, and told the captains about them.

Did Lewis and Clark intend to discover the Pacific Ocean?

No, the Pacific Ocean was well known to Europeans who had long traded and lived there: Spaniards, Russians, Britons, and others.

What was the Louisiana Purchase?

The Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was the largest and most extraordinary land purchase in the history of the United States. It was also the cheapest (per square mile).At the turn of the 19th Century, Americans were moving further westward. Settlers had crossed the Appalachian Mountains and headed for parts known and unknown. Pioneers like Daniel Boone had blazed trails and roads, allowing families to travel to new places. Soon, the Northwest Territory and other places were bustling with Americans.

Everyone wanted more: more places to live, more livestock for their farms. The one thing that the United States Government wanted more of was land. And the Louisiana Territory had a lot of land.

Louisiana was owned by France, and New Orleans was a huge French settlement. Many Americans lived in and around New Orleans, and many American ships sailed back and forth on the river. The U.S. Government wanted to protect American shipping and settlements.

So President Thomas Jefferson sent Robert Livingston to France to buy New Orleans and the surrounding area. Napoleon, who was by this time Emperor of France, refused. He was involved in wars in Europe and had dreams of a western empire as well.

After Napoleon's initial refusal, Jefferson sent James Monroe as well to France, in hopes of convincing Napoleon to reconsider. The French leader did more than that: He offered to sell all of the Louisiana Territory, more than 828,000 square miles! Livingston and Monroe quickly accepted and offered to pay $15 million. Both sides agreed, and the Louisiana Territory became American. The final transfer came in 1803.

Why did Napoleon change his mind? Things were going badly for him, and he needed the money. Why did Livingston and Monroe accept? They would have seen silly not to.