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Essay on Lewis and Clark
President Thomas Jefferson considered himself a scientist first, and a politician second. So, it is not surprising that he would initiate one of the largest scientific explorations ever undertaken. In 1800, two-thirds of Americans lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean. President Jefferson was curious about what lay west. He also believed that the country that discovered the fabled Northwest Passage would control this vast land. An easy route from Europe to the East Indies had been a dream since before Columbus. Jefferson was determined that the U.S. be the first to find it.
The United States Congress granted $2,500 to finance the expedition. Jefferson chose his personal secretary, 28-year old Meriwether Lewis, to lead the adventure. Lewis was the perfect choice. He read journals of exploration, was always curious about the natural world, and was an especially good observer. Lewis selected his friend and former military commander, William Clark, to co-lead the trip.( Madden, Etta M (2003))
Jefferson's group was called the Corps of Discovery. His three main goals for their expedition were: 1) find an easy Northwest Passage, and map the rivers and surrounding land along the way, 2) learn about the Indian nations, their cultures and population sizes, and 3) to gather and study plant and animal specimens, keep weather Iogs, and note soil quality, minerals, and fossils. The Corps were also instructed to gather all the necessary information that could later, through calculations and tables, be used to fix latitude and longitude along the route.
At the time, the areas they were to travel through were almost completely unknown, except to Native American tribes. Jefferson actually expected the Corps to find woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths, erupting volcanoes, and a mountain of pure salt. While Lewis was planning the trip, the United States purchased the Louisiana territory from France for $15 million......
