Compare And Contrast Meriwether Lewis And William Clark

507 Words3 Pages

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led one of the most significant and popular expeditions of American history. It all started with the large purchase of the Louisiana territory in 1803. The purchase consisted of about 828,000,000 square miles of land. President Thomas Jefferson initiated the exploration of the newly purchased grounds and the land over the "great rock mountains." There were high hopes for what the expedition would find along the way.
Meriwether Lewis was born in Albemarle County, Virginia on August 18,
1774. Lewis was a very patriotic man, participating in the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794 and later joining the regular army and becoming captain. In 1801, at the age of 26, he was offered a job, by President Jefferson, to be his …show more content…

During the entire journey, the expedition, which consisted of around four dozen men, traveled 8,000 miles in total, at a rate of 10 to 20 miles per day. Throughout the expedition, Lewis took detailed notes of the soil, climate, animals, plants, and native peoples, as he had been instructed by President Jefferson. In commitment to his orders, he discovered 178 plants and 122 animals as well. Another of the expedition's achievements, was the success of befriending the Native Americans. In fact, in one of their many interactions with the Native Americans, they met a young girl named Sacagawea and her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, who would later accompany them on the rest of their journey.
It wasn't until about a year and a half into the expedition that they finally arrived at the Pacific Ocean. On their way back to St. Louis, Missouri, they decided to split up, in order to better explore the lands. They all united again later in an area near the Mississippi River.
The Corps of Discovery, better known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, is a very admired event in American history. During the expedition, they discovered many things, such as plants and animals new to science, and encountered Indian tribes as well, such as the Cheyenne Indians, Blackfeet Indians, and many more. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were both rewarded greatly for their participation in the journey. Today, because of their involvement in the expedition, they are extremely known throughout