Lewis and Clark

In 1803, the United States bought a large piece of land known as the Louisiana Purchase. Little was known about this land. Was the land good for farming? What kind of animals lived there? What was the climate like? President Jefferson had many questions. He called upon Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition to explore this new frontier. Lewis asked a friend from his army days to join him. This friend was William Clark. He was an experienced Indian fighter.

Fifty men were hired to accompany Lewis and Clark, and the crew left in May 1804. They paddled up the Missouri River. They traveled for two years, meeting Indians along the way. One such Indian was Sacajawea, the wife of a French fur trapper. She served as an interpreter and guide. They made it to the Continental Divide, the line from which rivers flow to the east on one side and the west on the other.

Lewis and Clark continued with their crew on the dangerous and rocky trail until they reached the Pacific Ocean. In 1806, Lewis and Clark returned to share the information they had gathered. They kept meticulous notes on their findings and discoveries. Together, they had traveled 7,000 miles in 28 months.