On May 14th 1804 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on an amazing expedition across the Louisiana Territory. The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) was the first United States expedition to the Pacific Coast. Commissioned by PresidentThomas Jefferson, the expedition had several goals. Their objects were both scientific and commercial - to study the area's plants, animal life, and geography, and to the discover how the region could be exploited economically. According to Jefferson himself, one goal was to find a "direct & practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce with Asia" (the Northwest Passage).
Although Lewis and Clark failed to find a commercial route to Asia, they demonstrated the possibility of overland travel to the Pacific coast. They found Indians in the trans-Mississippi West accustomed to dealing with European traders and already connected to global markets. The success of their journey helped to strengthen the idea that American territory was destined to reach all the way to the Pacific
Take part in the expedition via National Geographic and the interactive
Go West with Lewis and Clark
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