Lewis And Clark

Lewis and Clark: The Expediton that forged U.S Expantion

Lewis and clarks expedition took a party of 33 members on the expedition. The party then came across the Shoshones Indian tribe. Sacagawea became the party's interperter. Sacagawea turned out to be incredibly valuable to the Corps as it traveled westward, through the territories of many new tribes. Some of these Indians, prepared to defend their lands, had never seen white men before. As Clark noted on October 19, 1805, the Indians were inclined to believe that the whites were friendly when they saw Sacagawea. A war party never traveled with a woman -- especially a woman with a baby. During council meetings between Indian chiefs and the Corps where Shoshone was spoke, Sacagawea was used and valued as an interpreter.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States, departing in May, 1804 from near St. Louis on the Mississippi River, making their way westward through the continental divide to the Pacific coast.

Expedition took 863 days, 7,689 miles the distance traveled by the expedition, through unmapped, unsettled wilderness.Costs of expedition: initial approved by congress $2,500. Grew to $38,722.25, 15x original amount. When you add in price of land each member received upon return as a reward, the total tops $136,000. In today’s dollars that is $126,000,000. It cost $25 billion to put a man on the moon.

Jefferson also placed special importance on declaring U.S. sovereignty over the land occupied by the many different tribes of Native Americans along the Missouri River, and getting an accurate sense of the resources in the recently completed Louisiana Purchase.

MerriwhetherLewis and William Clark (1804 - 1806, expediton)

Thomas Jefferson Commosioned the expedtition after the Lousiana Purchase whom Andrew Jackson purchased.

Tally of game killed on the expedition:Dear -- 1001Bear -- 56Turkey -- 9Elk -- 375Beaver -- 113Plovers -- 48Bison -- 227Otter -- 16Wolves -- 18 (only 1 eaten)Antelope -- 62Geese -- 104Indian Dogs -- 190 (purchased)Big Horned Sheep -- 35Grouse -- 46Horses -- 12