Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition from August 31, 1803, to September 25, 1806, is also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, and was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for the purpose of exploring and mapping the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before European powers attempted to establish claims in the region. The Corps of Discovery was a group of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark. The expedition made its way westward, and crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas before reaching the Pacific Coast. The campaign's secondary objectives were scientific (to study the area's plants, animal life, and geography) and economic (to establish trade with local Native American tribes).

President Jefferson had instructed Lewis to make observations of latitude and longitude and to take detailed notes about the soil, climate, animals, plants, and native peoples. Lewis identified 178 plants new to science, including bitterroot, prairie sagebrush, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine, as well as 122 animals, such as grizzly bear, prairie dog, and pronghorn antelope. Jefferson was among those who dreamed of a Northwest Passage -- one river or a series of connected rivers that would cross the western mountains and reach the Pacific Ocean.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition had a variety of connections with Pittsburgh in addition to being the starting point for the journey:

• • • Meriwether Lewis, when waiting for the Expedition’s keelboat to be completed, purchased his faithful companion Seaman, the Newfoundland dog.

    • The keelboat, or barge, is believed to have been built in Pittsburgh, most likely at Fort Fayette, which was on the north side of the city along the Allegheny River. Through the years, many have believed that it was constructed in Elizabeth, about 15 miles upstream from Pittsburgh on the Monongahela River.

    • The first stop for Lewis’s small crew was Brunot Island, just three miles downstream from the launch point. This was the site of the memorable accidental firing of Lewis’s special air rifle, which grazed a by-standing woman in the head.

    • The story of the Corps of Discovery’s connection with Pittsburgh is presented in the Senator John Heinz History Center. Located in downtown Pittsburgh, the Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Check their website for updates: www.heinzhistorycenter.org)

Accompanying the expedition from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean was Sacagawea. Although she may have been a guide she was important as a translator. During the expedition she gave birth to a son.

If you follow the links in the text you can learn lots more about the people, their discoveries, their journey, and the importance of their undertaking.

No lesson is without a test. Did Lewis and Clark find the Northwest Passage?

Are you a numismatist? (A numismatist is a coin collector.) Do you have these coins in your collection?