ipl-logo

What Are The Causes Of The Lewis And Clark Expedition

1468 Words6 Pages

On May 2, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States through a treaty with Napoleon Bonaparte that negotiated the possession of the territory west of the Mississippi River, alias the Louisiana Purchase. Adamant on finding a viable waterway that connected the Missouri River to the Pacific in hopes of strengthening commerce, Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to venture into the uncharted region. Although the desired water route proved to be nonexistent, the Corps of Discovery Expedition managed to redeem itself by bringing insight into the economic potential and characteristics of the land as well as endless encounters with the land's flora, fauna, and natives. Preliminary Preparations Jefferson's resolution when it came to the unearthing of the unprecedented secrets held by the western part of North America was implacable. It plagued his mind when the Louisiana Purchase had yet to present itself as an opportunity and even before he took office. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had in fact been Jefferson’s fourth attempt at appeasing his curiosity, with its three predecessors failing before they began. The first strive occurred in 1783, when the position of commander was offered to George Rodgers Clark, who was quick to reject the proposition in refusal to part with …show more content…

Lewis and Clark took everything from clothing, weaponry, and camping equipment to medicine and gifts to present to the Indians upon encounter with the several tribes of the land. Their mode of transportation for their crew of four dozen was carried out through the use of a 55-feet-long keel boat along with two smaller pirogues. Alteration to their form of transportation and obtainment of food changed as resources dwindled the further they ventured into the unknown. Their expenses amounted to a whopping

Show More
Related
462 Words | 2 Pages

Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose is written about the exploration of the West by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Thomas Jefferson, president of the United States, decided to send Lewis on this exploration, and Lewis chose to take Clark along with him. Many people criticized Jefferson because westward expansion had been tried before and failed. Others argued that he shouldn’t be allowed to purchase land with their tax dollars. Ambrose argues that Jefferson made the correct decision in choosing Lewis to explore the land that makes up Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of northeastern Texas, Oklahoma, eastern Colorado, and Minnesota (Kindle Locations 92-93).

Read More
888 Words | 4 Pages

The President purchased from France for 15 million dollars in order to improve America’s trade and commerce. However, the Congress believed that the president did not have the power to purchase land and that the purchase added up to the increasing national debt. To prove to the Congress that the land was not a “worthless dessert”, President Jefferson assigned his friend Lewis and Clark to explore the western land. After Lewis returned from the expedition, Thomas Jefferson appointed him as the Governor of the upper Louisiana territory. On the year of 1809 Lewis wants to go to Washington to complete the publication of his journals and work his problems with the war department after having difficulty with his new

Read More
1216 Words | 5 Pages

They had to go to the newly bought Louisiana territory which no one knew about. This increased the United States size 2x. They needed to find this waterway to communicate and to export goods around the world. People would also use this waterway to transport. During this expedition they figured out how big the newly purchased land is.

Read More
548 Words | 3 Pages

Thesis Statement: Lewis and Clark took a journey that would last over 3 years, and made many discoveries about the plants and wildlife, they met Sacagawea who translated and her presents allowed for better communication to open trade with the Indians, but also gained knowledge for maps that would be used for future exploration. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land gained from the Louisiana Purchase and to let the native American Indians of that area know there was a new presidency. President Jefferson wanted them to record their findings; animals, plants, and locations. Lewis and Clark took a journey that would last over 3 years, and made many discoveries about the plants and wildlife, they met Sacagawea who translated and her presents allowed for better communication to open trade with the Indians, but also gained knowledge for maps that would be used for future exploration.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

After Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory he commissioned the Corps of Discovery which was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. We were on a fact finding mission to find a Northwest Passage, become friends with the Native Americans and tell them that America now owns the land, and collect information about plants and animal. The trip began in May of 1804 from St. Louis traveling to the Pacific Ocean and in September of 1806 we returned to St. Louis. On September 7,1804 we ran into an animal we named a prairie dog.

Read More
84 Words | 1 Pages

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson wrote a document to France to purchase western land, also known a the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson was given the land from France, and wanted to study the new purchased territory. He sent out his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, he had much knowledge about the frontier. Lewis asked for help from William Clark, he also was a draftsman and frontiersman and had more knowledge than Meriwether. Both of the men made a plan to take a two-year trip to the ocean.

Read More
1887 Words | 8 Pages

Throughout 1803, Jefferson had talked with Meriwether Lewis, a young army veteran and his private secretary, about the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson wanted Lewis to lead a group of people out into the west to explore as much land as he could. Lewis, an adventurer at heart, accepted Jefferson’s request, and in early 1804, went to Philadelphia to recruit the men he wanted to accompany him on his journey. Among the men that were recruited was William Clark, an old friend of Lewis and the man that would share command of the band of explorers with Lewis. Together, Lewis and Clark decided to call their group “The Corps of Discovery.”

Read More
81 Words | 1 Pages

Lewis and Clark Expedition In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson handed over a small price of $15,000,000 for the Louisiana Territory, originally owned by France. After the treaty for the purchase was made, Jefferson issued an exploration of this new land. Jefferson ordered that his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, an intelligent and skilled man, be the leader of the expedition. As his personal assistant, Lewis selected the help of William Clark.

Read More
409 Words | 2 Pages

In the beginning, Thomas Jefferson had just bought the Louisiana Territory. He needed someone to explore and map all of the land. This task, he gave to his friend Meriwether Lewis. Lewis then asked his friend, William Clark to be his companion. The two men set off on the expedition in 1804.

Read More
2562 Words | 11 Pages

Along with preparing the necessary items and food and other important commodities, Lewis asked William Clark, his former commanding officer in the army, to help him lead the expedition. Lewis said to his future co-captain and old friend, “my friend I can assure you that no man lives with whom I would prefer to undertake and share the difficulties of such a trip than yourself” (Reader’s Digest, 213-214). The President gave Lewis specific and direct instructions of what he wanted them to accomplish. Jefferson’s first purpose was for Lewis to follow the Missouri River, and explore it, in order to see if there was an efficient stream of water to the west coast for commerce. Along with this, Jefferson also instructed Lewis to record maps of the land, analyze the soil to see it’s potential for providing crops, record the climate, and also to learn about the Indians (Readers Digest,

Read More
473 Words | 2 Pages

SanJaya Reed Mr. McCormick AP US History 4A January 19, 2015 Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was a very imperative moment during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. He concluded that he would buy all 827,000 square miles of Louisiana, land west of the Mississippi River, for approximately 15 million dollars in 1803.

Read More
915 Words | 4 Pages

In January 1803, Jefferson wrote a secret message to Congress detailing his plans for scientific exploration of the West. He asked Congress for $2,500 to be used to fund a transcontinental journey of “an intelligent officer, with ten or twelve chosen men, fit for enterprise” to explore “to the Western Ocean.” He wanted the men to locate the Northwest Passage, if it existed, and to develop trade relations with American Indians in the West. This expedition would come to be called the Corps of Volunteers for North Western Discovery, or the Corps of

Read More
780 Words | 4 Pages

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, many citizens were eager to find out more about this new land. Thomas Jefferson, the president of the United States at the time, “sent a secret letter to Congress asking for $2,500 to fund an expedition to the Pacific Ocean (Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition). He chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead this expedition. Lewis and Clark were some of the greatest heroes in our country because of their experience, how they interacted with their team and with the natives, and how they gave citizens a new outlook on their country.

Read More
224 Words | 1 Pages

Jefferson secured vast territory west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. This acquisition doubled the size of the United States, providing land for westward expansion and settlement. Jefferson's administration commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore and map the newly acquired territory. Jefferson's expansionist policies were deeply rooted in his

Read More
530 Words | 3 Pages

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery to have the Lewis and Clark expedition find a waterway that could connect the United States for transportation because he had aspirations to expand to the Pacific and Northwest making the expedition important to his agenda for the United States. (The Corp of Discovery, 2016). Another reason for the important expedition was to create a relationship with the American Indians, and the American fur trade, while learning the North American topography and geography of the land which was also important to the exploration (Corps of Discover, 2016). Thomas Jefferson was important to the Lewis and Clark expedition because he organized the journey, sought funding and made Lewis and Clark head

Read More

More about What Are The Causes Of The Lewis And Clark Expedition

Related Topics

Open Document