The Lewis and Clark Expedition ranks as one of the greatest voyages of discovery in human history.
Because of the scientific and geographical sightings made between 1804-1806, it stands in significance alongside the travels of Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, Cook, and the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
Captain Meriwether Lewis, commander of the Corps of Discovery, is ordered by President Thomas Jefferson to keep a diary of the daily events, scientific observations, and measurements of latitude and longitude along the way.
The expedition begins in May, taking the 33-person Corps of Discovery from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean and back again (a distance of over 8,000 miles) by 1806.
Among other things, it results in the initial mapping and exploration of the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest, and the description and classification of over 100 never-before seen species of fauna and flora.
Lewis' descriptions of the wildlife, plants and physical geography along the route of the expedition show him to be a gifted naturalist; perhaps one of the finest in history.
Lewis and Clark return from their 30-month long expedition as national heroes.
MERIWETHER LEWIS (1774–1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader (along with William Clark) of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery.
WILLIAM CLARK (1770–1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor best known for his role as the leader (along with Meriwether Lewis) of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery.
