Lewis and Clark Expedition (may 1, 1804 – sep 1, 1806)
Description:
The newly acquired land from the Louisiana Purchase was a mystery to the United States, so Thomas Jefferson requested funds for an expedition west. He originally asked for $2,500, but estimates say it ultimately cost more like $50,000. Meriwether Lewis, Jefferson's private secretary, Lieutenant William Clark, and a team of explorers traveled from the Mississippi River near present day Illinois, to the Pacific Ocean, and back to St. Louis. They traveled slowly, mapping the land, recording new plants and animals they encountered, and meeting natives. The journals from this trip taught early American settlers lots about the Native lands. Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian went with them, though different accounts vary on both her willingness (kidnapping or an adventurous woman) and her role (guide or diplomat).
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