In 1800 Thomas Jefferson was elected president. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Jefferson had the vision of the United States growing from sea to sea. However, it was unknown what was out there. Jefferson planned an exploratory expedition and called upon Meriwether Lewis to lead it. Jefferson was very interested in what was in the west lands. Much was involved in the carrying out of this expedition; the preparations for this trip, what happened during their long journey west, and the return home. This expedition was very important in the development of the United States. Lewis went to Philadelphia for short courses in medicine, celestial observation, botany, mapmaking, and fossils all to prepare for the expedition. He them obtained rifles, a cannon, and ammunition from the army's arsenals. He bought his men tools, mosquito nets, fishing hooks & lines, blankets, hooded coats, and even 150 pounds of portable soup. Lewis also purchased many gifts for the Indians he expected they would encounter: twelve dozen pocket mirrors, 4,600sewing needles, silk ribbons, ivory combs, handkerchiefs, brightly colored cloths, tomahawks, 130 rolls of tobacco, eight brass kettles, scissors, and thirty-three pounds of beads. Lewis then obtained his final instructions from President Jefferson. Recruiting men for this long journey was all he had left to do before departing. Lewis knew he wanted William Clark to be his equal in leading this expedition. Lewis met Clark in October of 1803 in Clarksville. Their first job together was the careful selection of their crew. Over a hundred men applied to be a soldier for the trip but only nine were selected from Clarksville. On October 26th they left Clarksville and started down the Ohio River. They sto... ... middle of paper ... ...y expedition moved on. On September 23rd, they reached St Louis and local residents honored them with gun salutes. Lewis began his letter to President Jefferson that night. He disclosed all the good and bad news in this long letter. Lewis and Clark's expedition was long, difficult, and full of hard work. They discovered that there wasn't an all water passage to the Pacific. That alone made the preparations, long journey, and long return home well worth it. They also realized the economic potential for the fur trading in the west. Congress rewarded the members of the expedition with double pay and land grants. This great expedition has proved to be one of the most important in United States history. The details of this trip are known because at least seven of the men kept journals. The Lewis and Clark trail today is one of the most popular tourist attractions.
Lewis and Clark were very successful people however their greatest success was only achievable with the help of Native Americans. April 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased uncharted territory from france. Jefferson always had liked the idea of western expansion so when he got the chance he took it. Jefferson pushed for approval to head an exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, and in 1803 it was approved. Jefferson had named Meriwether Lewis the leader and William Clark as his associate it wouldn't be until their first winter during the exploration that sacajawea would come into the picture . However Jefferson did not announce publicly that the U.S. had purchased eight hundred and sixty eight thousand square miles of land for fifteen million dollars until July .Lewis and Clark’s journey began near St.Louis, Missouri May 1804. Most days of the exploration had harsh conditions or at least one challenging obstacle to get around.For example during the exploration the hundred and forty six days spent in North Dakota, they experienced harsh temperatures below zero. This vast amount of uncharted land would become thirteen of the the states we know today. This expedition would discover a hundred and twenty two new animals, and a hundred and seventy eight plants, the expedition took eight hundred and sixty three days over a length of seven thousand six hundred and eighty nine miles, and at the cost of thirty eight thousand seven hundred and seventy two dollars and twenty five cents. Lewis and Clark’s Expedition would not have been as successful as it was without the help of George Drouillard, Sacajawea, and the Native American tribes they encountered. These Native Americans helped provide shelter, food, knowledge, and artifacts ...
Clark offered and raised Sacagawea’s son, “...would then take him to me if I would be so friendly as to raise the child for him in such manner as I thought proper, to which I agreed etc.” (Doc D) Lewis and Clark brought smallpox medicine to give it to the Indian tribes to help them, “Carry with you some small pox medicine… and instruct and encourage them to use it.” (Doc D) Lewis and Clark did want to help tribes but they ran into conflicts.
His presidency, as the third president of the United States, started with the Revolution of 1800, the first time political parties sent candidates and campaigned. In his inaugural address, he attempted to unify the two competing political parties: “Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle… We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists.”[3] This quote his reflects Jeffersonian republicanism, which was his views of government. Jefferson implied that in order to best suit the needs of the people, we needed a simple government and to simplify all conflicts in the government. Jefferson held that the common people should control the government. Jefferson had performed the most important act of his presidency in accordance with these beliefs; purchasing the Louisiana territory from France. In 1803, Jefferson doubted whether the Constitution gave him the power to purchase the land Napoleon offered to sell to him. He bought the Louisiana territory, contrary to his own beliefs of strict interpretation of the Constitution,. This more than doubled the size of America, giving America the opportunity to create many more states. The Louisiana Purchase decreased the power of the federal government by increasing the quantity of state governments. Another one of his major accomplishments was clearing the Revolutionary debt the United States incurred. One of Jefferson’s goals as president was to pay off that
This transaction would come to be known as the Louisiana Purchase and nearly doubled the size of the new nation. While George Washington and John Adams made efforts at westward expansion, Thomas Jefferson secured the Louisiana Purchase and initiated the Lewis and Clark expedition. According to Wulf, “maybe Lewis would find the huge mastodon roaming across the plains; discover profitable crops, flowers in exotic shapes and sizes, and trees that would soar even higher than those already encountered. Jefferson planned this expedition in the name of science, but it would also be the beginning of a distinctly American glorification of the wilderness” (Wulf, 157). The Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase had such a significant impact on America’s identity.
“Everything I do is for my people” (Quotes From Sacagawea). This fun loving naturalist that liked to help others was way more of a hero then she appears to be.
The year of 1803 significantly changed our nation eternally. It stunned many people. In no way, shape or form, did we ever believe that our nation would expand so rapidly. What started with the small purchase of New Orleans led into the substantial purchase of the Louisiana Territory. This was a purchase that will make Thomas Jefferson a man to be remembered. Although, he wasn’t the only man who impacted the United States during this time period. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are the two men that are greatly known for their expedition across the Louisiana Territory. These two subjects, the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, altered our nation immeasurably.
The Louisiana Purchase was the most important event of President Thomas Jefferson's first Administration. In this transaction, the United States bought 827,987 square miles of land from France for about $15 million. This vast area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and cemented the union of the Middle West and the East. Eventually all or parts of 15 states were formed out of the region. When Jefferson became president in March 1801, the Mississippi River formed the western boundary of the United States. The Florida's lay the south, and the Louisiana Territory to the west. Spain owned both these territories.
The changes will be no less profound for European Americans. President Jefferson's orders were far-reaching. While Lewis and Clark did not discover a Northwest Passage or start the western fur trade or overland immigration, they certainly influenced the latter two movements. They provided valuable information about the topography, the biological sciences, the ecology, and ethnic and linguistic studies of the American Indian. The mysteries of the vast area known as the Louisiana Purchase quickly disappeared after Lewis and Clark.
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.
Lewis wrote in his journal that it was “the grandest sight” that he had “ever beheld.” Today much of the landscape the Lewis and Clark crossed remains unchanged. The dense forest, rugged mountains, and rushing rivers are still abundant with fish and other wildlife. The river canyons, mountains meadows, and Great Plains of Montana have earned the state the unofficial nickname of the “last best place.” (Av2 books).
Lewis and Clark’s Expedition was very long and costly, although only one man lost his life. Many new things were discovered, including 178 new plants, and 122 animals. The main goal was to discover a route through to the Pacific Ocean, although Thomas Jefferson told them to note anything important what so ever. It was even noted that mosquitoes were a huge problem to the expedition. They came across many Indian tribes, only two Indians were killed, and there was first and incident to cause attack. They even traded or bought supplies from many tribes, and a Shoshone girl, Sacagawea helped them with their expedition. She would help guide the expedition, cook, and set up and take down a Teepee everyday. Also with the indian tribes, they brought a Giardoni type air rifle, which could kill a deer. It shot .46 caliber balls with the energy of a modern .45 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, like the hand guns used in World War one and two) bullet fired from a handgun. It had a flask that held enough air for 30 shots and the gun held 20 balls. It was reloaded by tilting it upwards. Although it p...
American history is accompanied by a long list of explorers who first discovered and who explored the massive continent. All of the explorers had an impact on the development of America. The Lewis and Clark expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, stands prominently at the top part of this list. The Lewis and Clark Expedition has had a significant political, social, and economic effect on America. They were the first to map out the west and set off westward expansion. Without the success of the expedition growth of America would have taken five times as long, as predicted by Thomas Jefferson.
The Lewis and Clark expedition across the present day United States began May 14, 1804. With the approval of President Jefferson and the U.S. Congress, Lewis and Clark gathered an exploration party of about four dozen men. These men headed off to discover Western America. On September 1, 1805, they arrived at the Bitterroot Mountains, near present day Idaho. This began a nightmare that would not end until they reached modern-day Weippe. September 1, 1805, the explorers set out traveling west, heading into rough, seldom traveled, mountainous country. They stopped at today’s North Fork of the Salmon River, known as Fish Creek to Lewis and Clark, where they caught five fish, and were able to kill a deer (MacGregor 125). Some of the men’s feet and horse’s hooves were injured due to the rough, rocky terrain. The next day, they were entering mountains far more difficult to pass than any American had ever attempted (Ambros 284). Clark describes the route: "Throu’ thickets in which we were obliged to cut a road, over rocky hillsides where horses were in perpetual danger of slipping to their certain distruction and up and down steep hills…" (De Voto 232). Traveling along the steep hills, several horses fell. One was crippled, and two gave out. Patrick Gass described the trip that day as, "…the worst road (If road it can be called) that was ever traveled" (MacGregor 125). To make conditions even worse, it rained that afternoon, which made the trail even more treacherous. The party was only able to travel five miles that day. On September 3, snow fell and the team’s last thermometer broke. Several more horsed slipped and injured themselves. Later that day, the snow turned into sleet. The expedition family consumed the last of their salt pork and fish and began their descent into the Bitterroot Valley. That night, was the coldest yet. The next day, the party went down a very steep descent to a river that Lewis named, Clark’s River, (Today known as The Bitterroot River.) There, they encountered a band of Salish Indians, whom the captains called Flatheads. They stayed there with the Indians the next couple of days to trade. They acquired thirteen new Appaloosa Horses, including three colts, for seven worn out horses. The Salish Indians shared berries and roots with the men for their meals. On September 6, they set off traveling northward along the Bitterroot River for about ten miles.
President Jefferson was instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, which secured an area extending from Canada to the Gulf and the Mississippi to the Rockies, for fifteen million dollars. This purchase also led to the planning and organization of the Lewis and Clark expedition. However, the argument over whether or not Florida was included in the Louisiana Purchase caused many sarcastic attacks on Thomas Jefferson from members of congress.
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