Lewis and Clark

Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774. He was born in Virginia, but when he was young he grew up in Georgia. Later, when he was a teenager, he moved back to Virginia. He then studied there for a little, and got his college degree. While he was in Virginia he was a neighborhood friend of Thomas Jefferson, and so when Jefferson needed someone to lead the expedition he chose Lewis. Lewis then chose William Clark to be his partner and go on the expedition with him. They had explored for almost two and a half years, and had discovered many things. Around three years after the expedition Lewis died due to gunshot wounds. No one is positive about how he died, many say it was an act of suicide but some aren’t certain.

William Clark was born August 1, 1770 and was born and raised in Virginia. While Clark was still young, he received a letter from Lewis asking him to share command on an expedition. Clark agreed to share command and join him on the expedition. Shorty after receiving this letter, in 1804, their journey had started. After they came back from their expedition in 1806, Clark decided to start a family, he got married to Julia Hancock on January 5, 1808, at Fin-castle, Virginia. Together they had five kids.

William Clark had many roles in helping the Unites states develop before and after the expedition. Clark was not only an American explorer, but was also a soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. In the years following the expedition, Clark served in a militia and later as the governor of the Missouri Territory. Towards the end of his life, during the years 1822 through 1838, Clark served as a Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Along with his many jobs, being an explorer was a major achievement for Clark. One thing Clark would say throughout the journey was, "Faith dare the soul to go further than it can see." Clark was very brave throughout the expedition and was constantly going beyond his comfort zone to gain the most possible out his journey. Due to his faith he was able to push his limits further than he would have ever imagined, allowing him to learn so much from the Corps of Discovery.

Lewis had many jobs as time went on. In 1795 he was a lower commissioned officer in the US Navy and Coast Guard. In 1799 he was ranked up to a higher level in the US Navy or Coast Guard. In 1800 he became a captain. He served as a army recruiter and paymaster. In 1801 President Jefferson asked Lewis to be his personal secretary and aide-de-camp.

Secondly, he was also part of the expedition. Lewis would always say, “I am no coward; but I am so strong, so hard to die.” Lewis was a very strong man, and this is one of the many reasons he was perfect for the expedition. Lewis wasn’t scared of much, and didn’t let anything get to him. If there was ever something wrong while exploring he would never give up, and stay strong.

The Lewis and Clark expedition started in may 1804 and lasted until September 1806, and it was also known as the Corps of Discovery. It was the first American expedition to cross the western portion of the United States. Jefferson commanded Lewis and Clark to discover three things. He wanted them to explore and to map the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before Britain would. Along the way they discovered so many new plants and animals. They also studied the area's plants and the animal life due to it's location. While on their journey, as planned, they established trade with an American Indian tribe. Many great things unfolded for the United States after the expedition. For one, it opened up new territory for the fur and lumber trade, as well as pointing out the lands that were good for crops an investing for the future. Secondly, it allowed America to expand and grow into greatness and success. Lastly, they made trails that would help other expeditions and explores in the future. The expedition influenced America and helped our baby nation grow in so many ways.

Time 1

The expedition sets off and begins. Nearly four dozen men were involved in the expedition, at this point.

03/14/1804

Time 2

Expedition marks the first Fourth of July ever celebrated west of the Mississippi.

07/04/1804

Time 3

Moving into the Great Plans, they start to discover new animal that were unknown in the east cost. They also saw many new plants, that had never been discovered before. Journalist say they found 178 new plants and 122 new animal. Some of the animals they saw were coyotes, antelope, mule deer, and many other. They also came across a grizzly bear.

09/07/1804

Time 4

On this day Sacajawea gave birth to a little baby boy. Lewis helped her a lot while giving birth and he also took great care of the baby when he was growing up, even after the expedition.

02/11/1805

Time 5

Clark comes across a stream he considers to be very clear and pretty. He then named it Judith River, after a young girl he met back in Virginia. He was also hoping he would get to marry her someday.

03/29/1805

Time 6

The expedition comes to a stop at a fork in the river. All the men believe the northern fork is the true Missouri. On the other hand, Lewis and Clark think its the south fork. After a little while of disagreeing, the captains (Lewis and Clark), think they are correct, and name the other fork the Marias. The other men still thought that they were correct, but said that they will follow the captains wherever they desire.

06/02/1805

Time 7

They kept going and then Lewis came across the Great Falls of the Missouri. This was proof the captains had been correct with the fork. They then discovered four more waterfalls, but it would take 18 and a half miles to get around to them.

06/13/1805

Time 8

This was now the second time they would be celebrating independence day on their expedition.

07/04/1805

Time 9

Lewis's 31'st birthday!!!

08/18/1805

Time 10

Clark sees Mount Hood in the distance. This mountain was already seen and named by a British sea captain in 1792. This was also a fixed point on the expeditions map, proof they are at last approaching the ocean.

10/18/1805

Time 11

Clark was thinking he saw the end of land in the distance. Clark then wrote in his most famous journal entry. Clark wasn’t correct and they were actually 20 miles from sea. At this time a big storm came pinning them down and delaying them for three weeks. "The most disagreeable time I have experienced" according to Clark.

11/07/1805

Time 12

The Lewis and Clark expedition ends.

09/23/1806

miles they traveled!

dollars the expedition cost

years until they returned home

Why is the expedition called the Corps of Discovery?

One main reason the Lewis and Clark expedition was called the Corps of Discovery is because a Corp is like am army, or a group of people within a militia. This expedition was a group of soldiers exploring trying to expand their knowledge and discover new things .

Why were Lewis and Clark in charge of the expedition?

Thomas Jefferson was the one who appointed Lewis to be the leader of the expedition. Since Lewis and Jefferson were neighborhood friends Jefferson knew he could trust Lewis. Lewis was also very invested in the government at the time so Jefferson knew he would be devoted and willing to fulfill his job. Lewis then sent a letter to Clark asking him to lead the expedition together. Lewis knew he could trust Clark because they were in the military together and had developed a friendship.

What were their first names?

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

What did Lewis and Clark do after they got back?

After Lewis and Clark got back from their expedition, they both got different jobs, and parted ways. After Lewis got back he became Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1808. His great abilities as leader of the expedition, however, did not translate into a successful political career. He made enemies with other quickly and was instantly depressed. The next year in 1809, Lewis died, many people don't know how. Many think it was a suicidal act due to his depression but many aren't sure. He did not have time to raise a family or even get married. On the other hand Clark, did get married and had many kids. After the expedition ended, Clark traveled in to St. Louis to work as chief Indian agent for the Territory of Upper Louisiana. He decided to bring York with him, his slave.

Lewis and Clark

Meriwether Lewis

William Clark

Clark’s accomplishments

lewis's accomplishments

Expedition

Timeline