Exploration in Nature
Lewis and Clark led the way and took part in an amazing adventure, and an expedition is exactly what it was. They dared to venture into a region unknown to them. Among the unknown was the nature surrounding the paths they were to take. Lewis and Clark, as well as everyone else on the expedition, had only ideas of the geographic areas they were braving. This is shown throughout The Lewis and Clark Expedition. The journal entries throughout this book show just how important nature was to the explorers.
What exactly were Lewis and Clark looking for? They wanted to find a northwest passage to use as a trade route from North America to the Pacific ocean. Using waterways was the only way to trade and ship good in large quantities. To get to the Pacific, another way was needed. It was believed that the Missouri River and the Columbia River came together to form a route to the East Coast. Unfortunately, not much was known about the western United States or the upper Missouri River. Lewis and Clark now had their task: to see if this waterway truly did exist.
The two explorers, along with their men, encountered many new wonders as they traveled up the Missouri. One major discovery was the difference in vegetation. Lewis describes a cherry, which are similar to the ones he has seen before yet have some different characteristics(page 40). He describes the bark as being "smooth and of a dark brown colour", and explains the fruit as "a globular berry about the size of a buck-shot of a fine scarlet red". Lewis is intrigued by the differences judging by his writing. Lewis had much knowledge about observing his surrounding, and Clark had an interest in
learning. This is why the vegetation seeme...
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... discoveries in geography allowed for another trade route, which Jefferson wanted, while the other natural factors gave us a glimpse of the differences from coast to coast. Climate and weather may have sparked ideas about latitude and longitude having an impact on the changes in cold and hot, as well as vegetation changes.
In closing, a better understanding of the natural side of the exploration helped generate ideas of science. These ideas could include medicine, like when the crew member felt better after drinking copious draughts of a strong tea of horse mint (page 80). With all these science ideas out in the open, it provided the explorers, as well as the rest
of the world, with the urge to learn more about nature and the world around them. Wasn’t learning more about the country one of the main purposes of the long expedition in the first place?
...re edible, and the best places to hunt. Who better to ask than the Native Americans, after all they were the natives of the land. One of the many examples of the Native Americans helping Lewis and Clark was they provided them with the horses that they would use to travel. The Tillmahaks had helped Lewis and Clark retrieve blubber from a whale that had washed up on the beach.
The fertile Great Plains region would provide America with thousands of acres of fruitful farmland that would benefit the new nation’s economic well-being. After the Lewis and Clark expedition, the newly found wildlife species and scenic landscapes resulted in a greater level of appreciation and fascination in nature and instilled a sense of patriotism in many. It would be a few decades till preservation policies came about but without Jefferson’s will to explore westward, our preservation efforts today might not be what they
Geographic discovery was an essential goal that Jefferson set for the expedition. Lewis and Clark recorded a wealth of scientific knowledge as they noted significant geographic features, made detailed route maps, and recorded their observations of longitude and latitude. Lewis performed most the astronomical duties and Clark charted the course and drafted expedition maps.
In May of 1804, two men set out on an important journey that would take them across the country and discover new land, but none of it would have been possible without the aid of one woman. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was planned by Thomas Jefferson, in order to explore the unknown in the newly purchased Louisiana Territory, and also to find a water route across the continent. Along the way the group of men met a quiet native, named Sacagawea, whose impact would later have a large effect on the success of their important journey.
American history is joined by a not insignificant rundown of adventurers who initially found and who investigated the gigantic landmass. The majority of the wayfarers affected the advancement of America. The Lewis and Clark campaign, otherwise called the Corps of Discovery, stands conspicuously at the top some portion of this rundown. The Lewis and Clark Expedition has had a huge political, social, and monetary impact on America. They were the first to guide out the west and set off westbound development. Without the accomplishment of the undertaking development of America would have taken five times as long, as anticipated by Thomas Jefferson.
When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first explored Montana in the early 1800s, they were awestruck by the open plains and delighted by the wide range of animals that roamed the land. After reaching the Great Falls, which is on the Missouri River in what is now Montana (Av2 books).
by Jefferson to lead the expedition, and Lewis then selected William Clark (depicted on the right of page two) as his partner.
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, also known as Lewis and Clark, they led one of the most famous expeditions in American history. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, the Corps of Discovery Expedition was one of the earliest exploratory missions across America to the Pacific Coast. Though its primary purpose was to find a direct water route to the Pacific Ocean, President Jefferson also wanted the journey to focus on the economic usefulness of different regions, particularly in terms of plant and animal life. On May 14, 1804, along with 31 other men, Lewis and Clark set out to do exactly that. It was a long, treacherous trip by water and on foot across a expansive unknown wilderness. Keeping the expedition members healthy and well-fed was obviously a pressing concern. This epic mission had a wild, strange and often surprising menu. Their favorite foods were always elk, beaver tail, and buffalo, and when they were struggling up the Missouri the men ate prodigious amounts of it, up to nine pounds of meat per man per day. But dogs would do if dogs were all that they could get. Only Clark formerly declined. He couldn't bring himself to eat dog meat. They also had to cut down trees to make boats after going over miles of land while being forced to leave their original boats. What they did was burn the insides of
One action taken by the United States government that was influenced by geographic factors was the Louisiana Purchase. There were many historical circumstances that resulted in the government’s action. Louisiana was originally owned by the French until France sold it to the United States. Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana in 1803. The influence of this geographic factor occurred because as the United States had expanded westward, navigation of the Mississippi River and access to the port of New Orleans had become critical to American commerce. The purchase of the Louisiana territory, including New Orleans, was for $15 million. The acquisition of approximately 827,000 square miles would double the size of the United States. This also gave the United States control of the Mississippi River. This had a lot of impacts on the United States. It increased western expansion which was included in the Manifest Destiny. The Manifest Destiny was a 19th-century doctrine that the United States had the right and duty to expand throughout the North American continent. But, this expansion did lead to conflicts...
In his essay Calypso Borealis, John Muir mainly uses diction while using some examples of imagery to express his relationship with nature. When describing his journey to find the Calypso Borealis Muir writes, “…holding a general though very crooked course… struggling through tangled drooping branches and over and under broad heaps of fallen trees.” Using specific descriptions of his surroundings helps the reader
Explorers are always pushed to their limits. Their motivation varies but also shows their human ability. Great journeys are from the motivation from within and are either made or broken. Many have tried and many have failed but it is what you bring from it that really matters. In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer states that exploring nature brings personal awareness.
James Cook second voyage was to find out the “hypothetical of Terra Australis.” This was another scientific voyage. This aim was given to him by the royal society. This again was run like a military operation, when doing this like a military expedition his crew member will know what to do and when to do it. This expedition was educational because Cook had to decide whether there was excessive southern islands.
In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie noticed while living in the Everglades that some of the Indians started leaving the town and heading east. She also noticed that the animals started to scatter as well. Janie asked one of the Indians why they were leaving and he said that there was a hurricane approaching. The park ranger that guided us on the slough slog informed the class that this is a fact. The animals as well as the sawgrass know when hurricanes are approaching. The Indians these days know when a hurricane is approaching as well. Yet, these days they most likely find out from the weather channel reports on their big-screen TV's in their casinos instead of analyzing whether or not the sawgrass is blooming! It would have been interesting to have had class this Friday to see for ourselves if the blooming of sawgrass is indeed a fact now that Hurricane Michelle is approaching.
The worst day of my life began innocently enough with my small group of friends preparing to explore a cave. Each month the four of us, I, Jill, John, and Ted, would choose two or three caves and spend our weekends engrossed in exploring them. Today’s cave was a special one; it afforded just a small window of opportunity for exploration because it flooded completely with each high tide. As we checked our packs and made sure all our spelunking and survival gear was in order, a rather jovial, but sizable, fellow by the name of Scott Porker happened by and asked if he could join our group. We agreed, as we were always happy to be in the company of a kindred spirit, and since the tide had just gone out we began our descent into the cave.