Introduction
After
America gained its independence, “people kept coming to settle though the east
was the only place there was to go".[1] President Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte,
leader of France, made a deal and America increased its size by approximately
827,000 square miles on December 30th, 1803 through the purchase of
the Louisiana territory.[2] However, before America can have access to
that enormous piece of land, many decisions were being made by both President
Thomas Jefferson and the government officials.
One of his decisions was to get a fund from Congress on an expedition to
cross the Louisiana territory.[3] He issued his personal secretary, Meriwether
Lewis, as commander to lead the expedition in partnership with former army
comrade, William Clark.[4] Adversely, how did this expedition affected
the United States?
Lewis left Washington D.C. once the Louisiana Purchase was announced and prepared for the expedition to start. When Lewis and Clark begin their journey, Clark described the weather in his journal as “a jentle brease”.[5] The trip was a significant part of U.S. history because of the interactions they had between the Native Americans, the findings of new plants and animal’s species that became a great record for science, and the well mapped land which made a lasting impact of the expansion.
Lewis left Washington D.C. once the Louisiana Purchase was announced and prepared for the expedition to start. When Lewis and Clark begin their journey, Clark described the weather in his journal as “a jentle brease”.[5] The trip was a significant part of U.S. history because of the interactions they had between the Native Americans, the findings of new plants and animal’s species that became a great record for science, and the well mapped land which made a lasting impact of the expansion.
Maple Leaf (vine maple, Acer Circinatum), February 10, 1806, Voorhis No. 2
The Maple Leaf was a new plant that was found on the expedition.
The Maple Leaf was a new plant that was found on the expedition.
[1]. Lynn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall and Tom Yohe, Schoolhouse Rock Live!- Piano Conductor Score 1, (New York: American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., 1995), 187.
[2]. Monticello and the University of Virginia, “The Jefferson: The Louisiana Purchase,” accessed April 3, 2014, http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase.
[3]. Ibid.
[4]. PBS.org, “Lewis and Clark Archive: A Timeline of the Trip,” accessed March 28, 2014, http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/archive/idx_time.html.
[5]. Ibid, paragraph 10.
[2]. Monticello and the University of Virginia, “The Jefferson: The Louisiana Purchase,” accessed April 3, 2014, http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase.
[3]. Ibid.
[4]. PBS.org, “Lewis and Clark Archive: A Timeline of the Trip,” accessed March 28, 2014, http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/archive/idx_time.html.
[5]. Ibid, paragraph 10.