In The Footsteps Of Lewis And Clark

In the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark

The book I have just read, "In the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark", is mainly about a man named Richard, his wife Arlette, and his two children Michele, 6, and Daniel, 4, who follow in almost the exact footsteps of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. While the book talks about the family’s expedition it also, mainly, tells about the Lewis and Clark expedition and the history of it.

Meriwether Lewis was born August 18th, 1774 near Charlottesville, Virginia. William Clark was born August 1st, 1770 in Virginia as well. Some people believe that the boys may have played together as children, but this is only a myth. When their lives did join, their names became inseparable as partners of discovery.

When Lewis joined the Militia in 1794, he met Clark. In sharing the experiences of the Northwest Campaign against the British and the Indians, Lewis and Clark became fast friends. When Lewis was in Philadelphia he received a letter from President Jefferson with detailed instructions for the expedition to explore the western terrain. Clark would be assisting him.

Richard and his wife prepare for their expedition in Philadelphia, as Lewis did, and they visited the library of the American Philosophical Society. The librarian suggested that if they wanted to follow in the exact footsteps of Lewis and Clark they should use a classic eight volume edition of the Lewis and Clark journals. Richard took many notes of the Lewis and Clark expedition for their journey.

Lewis and Clark started on August 31, 1803 and floated down the Ohio River to set out for St. Louis where they trained a group of men for the upcoming task. When they started their tour in May 1804, they took a keelboat, two pirogue...

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...owing in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark had experienced their hopes, fears, joys, and disappointments. In searching to rediscover the land that they had know, they developed a new and deeper understanding of the nation that Lewis and Clark helped build.

In conclusion, I liked this book because it told about two different perspectives, one from the past and one from the present. It showed me the struggles Lewis and Clark faced, during their expedition, and what it was like to explore unknown terrain. I learned that the information gathered and the proof of an overland passage to the Pacific helped to open up the entire continent for rapid expansion and settlement to the new nation. It also told me about a family following in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and their excitement in doing so. I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends.