The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Fast Facts
- The Louisiana Purchase was made under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson
- Louisiana was purchased for $15 million
- Thomas Jefferson had attempted to arrange several exploring parties before the Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Lewis was hand picked (and trained) by Thomas Jefferson, and Clark was hand picked by Lewis
- The Expedition took around 2 years total
- Lewis and Clark were the first white men to reach the Pacific by a land route across the continent
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
1804-1806
“You have made a noble bargain for yourselves, and I suppose you will make the most of it.”
(French Foreign Minister Talleyrand to U. S. Foreign Minister Robert Livingston)
The Mississippi River & New Orleans
o Use of the Mississippi River and New Orleans was vital to the U.S.
The Purchase
o He did not want to have to worry about defending the Louisiana Territory across an ocean.
o He wanted to build relations with the U.S.
o “I have given England a rival, who soon or later, will humble her pride” —Napoleon Bonaparte.
o For $15 million
o That’s less than 3 cents an acre.
o Doubled the size of the United States
Preparation
o There were few governmental agencies with which to fund an expedition of this sort, so Jefferson chose to place it under the U.S. military.
o Jefferson sent Lewis to Philadelphia to train intensively in botany (study of plants) and zoology (study of animals)
o Record and map the geography
o Observe the Native Peoples and establish friendly relations with them
o Find the quickest overland trade route to the Pacific
“The enterprise &c. is Such as I have long anticipate and am much pleased.... My friend, I do assure you that no man lives whith whome I would perfur to undertake Such a Trip &c. as yourself.”
~William Clark to Meriwether Lewis in acceptance of the offer to be co-commander of the Corps of Discovery.
o Became Captain in the U.S. Army
o Had served in a rifle company under Captain William Clark
o Served as President Jefferson’s personal secretary
§ Jefferson’s invitation to Lewis to become his secretary: “Your knolege of the Western country, of the army, and of it’s interests and relations has rendered it desireable for public as well as private purposes that you should be engaged in that office.”
§ Jefferson was already planning the Expedition, and had already chosen Lewis as its commander.
o Was personally trained and schooled as a naturalist for the Expedition by Jefferson
o Wrote in the journals with more reflection and style
o Was appointed as Governor of the Louisiana Territory
o Died in 1809 at age 35 and only 3 years after the Expedition
§ Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! Viva tuos. ~Latin inscription on Lewis’ grave (credited to Jefferson). Translation: “I died young: but thou, O Good Republic, live out my years for me with better fortune.”
o Served as Captain in the U.S. Army, but had resigned prior to the journey
o Was reappointed as second lieutenant, Subordinate to Lewis
o Still, Lewis insisted on Clark’s equal commandership of the Expedition and had those in the o o Corps refer to him as Captain Clark.
o Wrote with a more matter-of-fact tone
o Promoted to Brigadier General and appointed to oversee Indian Affairs
o In honor of Lewis, he named his son Meriwether Lewis Clark
Interesting Facts
(French Foreign Minister Talleyrand to U. S. Foreign Minister Robert Livingston)
The Mississippi River & New Orleans
- Louisiana: refers to the whole territory West of the Mississippi
- The Territory was under Spanish rule since 1762
- Under Pinckney’s Treaty, the United States free use of the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.
o Use of the Mississippi River and New Orleans was vital to the U.S.
The Purchase
- In 1800, the Louisiana Territory was transferred to French rule
- The U.S. feared that their trade in the western territory would suffer under French power, so they sent ambassadors to France to arrange to buy New Orleans for up to $10 million.
- France counter-offered
- Napoleon was preparing for war with Britain
o He did not want to have to worry about defending the Louisiana Territory across an ocean.
o He wanted to build relations with the U.S.
o “I have given England a rival, who soon or later, will humble her pride” —Napoleon Bonaparte.
- France offered the U.S. the whole Louisiana Territory
o For $15 million
o That’s less than 3 cents an acre.
o Doubled the size of the United States
- President Thomas Jefferson was worried about violating the Constitution with the purchase of land in this way
- On April 30th, 1803, the Treaty was signed and the land was purchased
Preparation
- The Corps of Discovery
o There were few governmental agencies with which to fund an expedition of this sort, so Jefferson chose to place it under the U.S. military.
- Thomas Jefferson’s vision:
o Jefferson sent Lewis to Philadelphia to train intensively in botany (study of plants) and zoology (study of animals)
- Purposes of the Expedition
o Record and map the geography
o Observe the Native Peoples and establish friendly relations with them
o Find the quickest overland trade route to the Pacific
- “Your observations are to be taken with great pains & accuracy, to be entered distinctly and intelligibly for others as well as yourself.”—Thomas Jefferson
“The enterprise &c. is Such as I have long anticipate and am much pleased.... My friend, I do assure you that no man lives whith whome I would perfur to undertake Such a Trip &c. as yourself.”
~William Clark to Meriwether Lewis in acceptance of the offer to be co-commander of the Corps of Discovery.
- Captain Meriwether Lewis
o Became Captain in the U.S. Army
o Had served in a rifle company under Captain William Clark
o Served as President Jefferson’s personal secretary
§ Jefferson’s invitation to Lewis to become his secretary: “Your knolege of the Western country, of the army, and of it’s interests and relations has rendered it desireable for public as well as private purposes that you should be engaged in that office.”
§ Jefferson was already planning the Expedition, and had already chosen Lewis as its commander.
o Was personally trained and schooled as a naturalist for the Expedition by Jefferson
o Wrote in the journals with more reflection and style
o Was appointed as Governor of the Louisiana Territory
o Died in 1809 at age 35 and only 3 years after the Expedition
§ Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! Viva tuos. ~Latin inscription on Lewis’ grave (credited to Jefferson). Translation: “I died young: but thou, O Good Republic, live out my years for me with better fortune.”
- Captain William Clark
o Served as Captain in the U.S. Army, but had resigned prior to the journey
o Was reappointed as second lieutenant, Subordinate to Lewis
o Still, Lewis insisted on Clark’s equal commandership of the Expedition and had those in the o o Corps refer to him as Captain Clark.
o Wrote with a more matter-of-fact tone
o Promoted to Brigadier General and appointed to oversee Indian Affairs
o In honor of Lewis, he named his son Meriwether Lewis Clark
Interesting Facts
- Jefferson had already attempted 4 expeditions prior to Lewis and Clark
- The Expedition took over 2 years
- Traveled a distance of 7,689 miles
- Costs of expedition: initial approved by congress $2,500. Grew to $38,722.25, 15x the original amount. When you add in price of land each member received upon return as a reward, the total tops $136,000. In today’s dollars that is $126,000,000. It cost $25 billion to put a man on the moon. ~http://www.siue.edu/MLTE
- The party included a woman, a baby, a slave (belonging to Clark and named York)
- Sacagawea was only 13 years old when she was sold to Charbonneau and she was about 16 or 17 when she had her baby, Jean Baptiste
- Jean Baptiste was nicknamed “Little Pomp” or “Pompy” by Clark
- The Expedition found a total of 178 new plants and 122 new animal species
- The Expedition sent a live Prairie Dog back to Jefferson
- The only man that died of the Expedition party died of natural causes
- During the crossing of the Rockies, Lewis and Clark ate horses, dogs, and tallow candles.
- Clark spelled the word “Sioux” about 27 different ways
- Clark was 6 ft tall