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. In order for them to be able to lead this expedition, these two men had to have had experience. Lewis and Jefferson’s families had been friends for quite some time, making Lewis a top pick for Jefferson. Prior to the journey, Lewis served as his aid. Lewis was also an experienced hunter, outdoorsman, and herbal medicine expert (Legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition Characters). These were some of the main reasons Jefferson chose him to lead the expedition because these traits could be vital for his survival. But even before this, in 1795, Lewis served with another man: William Clark. During their time together they became great friends (William Clark). Although Clark was not an expert in many of the things Lewis was that granted him the …show more content…
Their exploration would encourage people to explore this new land themselves. Along the way, Clark drew maps of all the land they covered, which would aid citizens in reaching a new settlement (Legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition Characters). Over many years to come, citizens would continue to explore and settle in this land, eventually forming the 48 contiguous states we know today. Lewis and Clark’s bravery in their mission encouraged and influenced many movements such as overland immigration, the Northwest Passage, the western fur trade, and much