What was the reason behind the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Besides mapping the area and scientific research one of the most important reasons, according to President Jefferson, was to find "...the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce." Lewis and Clark Expedition. read more

The expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, consisting of a select group of U.S. Army volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark. read more

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the Corps of Discovery crossed the North American continent from 1804 to 1806, traveling from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific coast and back. read more

Lewis and Clark Expedition, (1804–06), U.S. military expedition, led by Capt. Meriwether Lewis and Lieut. William Clark, to explore the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest. The expedition was a major chapter in the history of American exploration. read more