This a keel boat that Lewis and Clark embarked in into Louisiana territory. It took about a month to prepare. A keel boat like this is structured to withstand the complications of rivers. It can vary in shape, but especially for the Lewis and Clark expedition, its length was around 40 feet!
Louisiana Expedition: Preparation
Louisiana Purchase (828,000 square miles of land) was purchased in April 1803. Thomas Jefferson as the president during this era had assigned Captain Meriwether Lewis as its Leader of the expedition for his knowledge of the west; William Clark was also chosen to go along with him. Before heading out for the expedition Lewis and Clark went through a serious process of preparation.
Meriwether Lewis was born into William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether’s family on the eighteenth of August of 1774 in Albemarle County. In 1779, Lewis’s dad die to pneumonia in which shortly followed the new marriage of his mom to Captain Jacks. As a result of this marriage, his entire family moved to Georgia. In Georgia, Lewis not only progressed in his skills as a hunter, but was also taught by his mother on how to gather and use herbs as medicine. Not only acquainted with the skills of the outdoor, he was educated in the school taught by Parsons William Douglas and Matthew Maury. However, he finished his education at Rev. James Waddell in 1790. In August 1794, Lewis was enlisted against the Whiskey Rebellion, but it subsided and Lewis decided to be stay under the command of General Daniel Morgan. In August 1795, Lewis joined General Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers for the Treaty of Greenville. Under the command of General Wayne, Lewis became acquainted with William Clark with whom Lewis was reassigned to work with at the Chosen Rifle Company. Both had develop a deep sense of respect of each other, however it was short lived since they were separated. In 1800, Lewis was promoted into the rank of captain. In 1801, he became the secretary and assistant under president Thomas Jefferson. Under the a new command, Lewis went to study natural history, botany, astronomy and other fields which would help him in the future task that was given to him by the president [1]. President Thomas Jefferson had placed Lewis as the head of the expedition venturing the uncharted territories of Louisiana.
William Clark was born into a line of adventurous men in Virginia in 1630. He later moved to Caroline County, VA in 1757. In 1789, William was enlisted into the army under Major John Heredin’s regiment who sought to protect the Kentucky settlements from Native American raids. In 1791 Clark transferred under General Charles Scott’s command but soon was realized a failure. In 1795, he was transferred to General Anthony Wayne’s command. Under his command, Clark was introduced to Lewis. Clark went to serve the army through the Whisky Rebellion of 1795 and 1796. Then he retired to assist his family go through business inquirement. Around 1800, Clark was invited by Lewis to assist on the expedition to Louisiana[2].
On the 15th day of March 1804, preparations were made in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. It is where weapons such as the rifles and other equipments such as a boat for the expedition was prepared. However, the construction of the keelboat took longer than expected to prepare which delayed Lewis around a month. “The boat was made in two sections, each weighing 22 pounds, which could be fitted together to form the skeleton of a boat of 40 feet in length, and would be covered with animal hides and sealed together with pitch. This special boat could be used high in the mountains if they were unable to make dugout canoes.”[3]Other than the keel boat, other equipments such as:
Transportation:
2 Pirogues (open boats)
Square sail (also called a broad sail)
35 Oars
2 Horses
Camping Equipment:
150 Yards (140 meters) of cloth to be oiled and sewn into tents and sheets
6 Large needles
Pliers
Chisels
Handsaws
Oilskin bags
25 Hatchets
Whetstones
30 Steels for striking or making fire
Iron corn mill
2 Dozen tablespoons
Mosquito curtains
10.5 Pounds (5 kilograms) of fishing hooks and fishing lines
12 Pounds (5.4 kilograms) of soap
193 Pounds (87.5 kilograms) of "portable soup" (a thick paste concocted by boiling down beef, eggs, and vegetables, to be used if no other food was available on the trail)
3 Bushels (106 liters) of salt
Writing paper, ink and crayons
Clothing:
45 Flannel shirts
20 Coats
15 Frocks
Shoes
Woolen pants
15 Blankets
Knapsacks
30 Stockings
15 Pairs wool overalls
Medicine:
50 Dozen Dr. Rush's patented "Rush's Thunderclapper" pills
Lancets
Forceps
Syringes
Tourniquets
1,300 Doses of physic
1,100 Doses of emetic
3,500 Doses of diaphoretic (sweat inducer)
Additional drugs
Arms:
15 Prototype Model 1803 muzzle-loading .54-caliber rifles "Kentucky Rifles"
15 Gun slings
24 Large knives
Powder horns
500 Rifle flints
420 Pounds (191 kilograms) of sheet lead for bullets
176 Pounds (80 kilograms) of gunpowder packed in 52 lead canisters
1 Long-barreled rifle that fired its bullet with compressed air, rather than by flint, spark, and powder
Mathematical Instruments:
Surveyor's compass
Hand compass
1 Hadley's quadrant
1 Telescope
3 Thermometers
2 Sextants
1 Set of plotting instruments
1 Chronometer (needed to calculate longitude; at $250 it was the most expensive item)
1 Portable microscope
1 Tape measure
Presents for Indian Tribes Encountered:
12 Dozen pocket mirrors
4,600 Sewing needles
144 Small scissors
10 Pounds (4.5 kilograms) of sewing thread
Silk ribbons
Ivory combs
Handkerchiefs
Yards of bright-colored cloth
130 Rolls of tobacco
Tomahawks that doubled as pipes
288 Knives
8 Brass kettles
Vermilion face paint
20 Pounds (9 kilograms) of assorted beads, mostly blue
5 Pounds (2 kilograms) of small, white, glass beads
288 Brass thimbles
Armbands
Ear trinkets
Books, Tables, and Maps
A Practical Introduction to Spherics and Nautical Astronomy
Antoine Simon's Le Page du Pratz's History of Louisiana
Barton's Elements of Botany
Dictionary (4-volume)
Linnaeus (2-volume edition), the Latin classification of plants
Richard Kirwan's Elements of Mineralogy
The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris
Tables for finding longitude and latitude
Map of the Great Bend of the Missouri River [4]
Alongside with the preparation of equipment, Lewis prepared himself under several disciplines that served to improve his leadership aspect for the expedition. Having only the experiences gained from the voyages of James Cook, Lewis was to gather and learn information about the terrain that he will be venturing into. Fortunately, he was prepared under the teachings of President Jefferson who had Lewis as his personal secretary. Along with Jefferson, Lewis learned from “ astronomer Andrew Ellicott, botanist Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, surveyor and mathematician Robert Patterson, physician Dr. Benjamin Rush, and anatomist Dr. Caspar Wistar (Rush and Wistar were both members of the American Philosophical Society)” during the spring of 1803.[5]
With all the equipment ready for the expedition along with many different disciplines, Lewis and Clark and other men embark on the journey.
[1]Avenius, S. (2010). A Review of "Meriwether Lewis". Hisotry: Review of New Books, 38(2)
[2]Finkel, Paul, "Clark, William". Encyclopedia of United States Indian Policy and Law, 1 Pg 800
[3]National Park Service. “The Journey – Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of History Places Travel Itenerary.” NPS.gov http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/journey.htm
[4] National Geographic, The Journals of "Lewis and Clark" web
http://www.nationalgeographic.com /lewisandclark/resources_links.html
[5]National Park Service. “The Journey – Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of History Places Travel Itenerary.” NPS.gov http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/journey.htm
Louisiana Purchase (828,000 square miles of land) was purchased in April 1803. Thomas Jefferson as the president during this era had assigned Captain Meriwether Lewis as its Leader of the expedition for his knowledge of the west; William Clark was also chosen to go along with him. Before heading out for the expedition Lewis and Clark went through a serious process of preparation.
Meriwether Lewis was born into William Lewis and Lucy Meriwether’s family on the eighteenth of August of 1774 in Albemarle County. In 1779, Lewis’s dad die to pneumonia in which shortly followed the new marriage of his mom to Captain Jacks. As a result of this marriage, his entire family moved to Georgia. In Georgia, Lewis not only progressed in his skills as a hunter, but was also taught by his mother on how to gather and use herbs as medicine. Not only acquainted with the skills of the outdoor, he was educated in the school taught by Parsons William Douglas and Matthew Maury. However, he finished his education at Rev. James Waddell in 1790. In August 1794, Lewis was enlisted against the Whiskey Rebellion, but it subsided and Lewis decided to be stay under the command of General Daniel Morgan. In August 1795, Lewis joined General Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers for the Treaty of Greenville. Under the command of General Wayne, Lewis became acquainted with William Clark with whom Lewis was reassigned to work with at the Chosen Rifle Company. Both had develop a deep sense of respect of each other, however it was short lived since they were separated. In 1800, Lewis was promoted into the rank of captain. In 1801, he became the secretary and assistant under president Thomas Jefferson. Under the a new command, Lewis went to study natural history, botany, astronomy and other fields which would help him in the future task that was given to him by the president [1]. President Thomas Jefferson had placed Lewis as the head of the expedition venturing the uncharted territories of Louisiana.
William Clark was born into a line of adventurous men in Virginia in 1630. He later moved to Caroline County, VA in 1757. In 1789, William was enlisted into the army under Major John Heredin’s regiment who sought to protect the Kentucky settlements from Native American raids. In 1791 Clark transferred under General Charles Scott’s command but soon was realized a failure. In 1795, he was transferred to General Anthony Wayne’s command. Under his command, Clark was introduced to Lewis. Clark went to serve the army through the Whisky Rebellion of 1795 and 1796. Then he retired to assist his family go through business inquirement. Around 1800, Clark was invited by Lewis to assist on the expedition to Louisiana[2].
On the 15th day of March 1804, preparations were made in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. It is where weapons such as the rifles and other equipments such as a boat for the expedition was prepared. However, the construction of the keelboat took longer than expected to prepare which delayed Lewis around a month. “The boat was made in two sections, each weighing 22 pounds, which could be fitted together to form the skeleton of a boat of 40 feet in length, and would be covered with animal hides and sealed together with pitch. This special boat could be used high in the mountains if they were unable to make dugout canoes.”[3]Other than the keel boat, other equipments such as:
Transportation:
2 Pirogues (open boats)
Square sail (also called a broad sail)
35 Oars
2 Horses
Camping Equipment:
150 Yards (140 meters) of cloth to be oiled and sewn into tents and sheets
6 Large needles
Pliers
Chisels
Handsaws
Oilskin bags
25 Hatchets
Whetstones
30 Steels for striking or making fire
Iron corn mill
2 Dozen tablespoons
Mosquito curtains
10.5 Pounds (5 kilograms) of fishing hooks and fishing lines
12 Pounds (5.4 kilograms) of soap
193 Pounds (87.5 kilograms) of "portable soup" (a thick paste concocted by boiling down beef, eggs, and vegetables, to be used if no other food was available on the trail)
3 Bushels (106 liters) of salt
Writing paper, ink and crayons
Clothing:
45 Flannel shirts
20 Coats
15 Frocks
Shoes
Woolen pants
15 Blankets
Knapsacks
30 Stockings
15 Pairs wool overalls
Medicine:
50 Dozen Dr. Rush's patented "Rush's Thunderclapper" pills
Lancets
Forceps
Syringes
Tourniquets
1,300 Doses of physic
1,100 Doses of emetic
3,500 Doses of diaphoretic (sweat inducer)
Additional drugs
Arms:
15 Prototype Model 1803 muzzle-loading .54-caliber rifles "Kentucky Rifles"
15 Gun slings
24 Large knives
Powder horns
500 Rifle flints
420 Pounds (191 kilograms) of sheet lead for bullets
176 Pounds (80 kilograms) of gunpowder packed in 52 lead canisters
1 Long-barreled rifle that fired its bullet with compressed air, rather than by flint, spark, and powder
Mathematical Instruments:
Surveyor's compass
Hand compass
1 Hadley's quadrant
1 Telescope
3 Thermometers
2 Sextants
1 Set of plotting instruments
1 Chronometer (needed to calculate longitude; at $250 it was the most expensive item)
1 Portable microscope
1 Tape measure
Presents for Indian Tribes Encountered:
12 Dozen pocket mirrors
4,600 Sewing needles
144 Small scissors
10 Pounds (4.5 kilograms) of sewing thread
Silk ribbons
Ivory combs
Handkerchiefs
Yards of bright-colored cloth
130 Rolls of tobacco
Tomahawks that doubled as pipes
288 Knives
8 Brass kettles
Vermilion face paint
20 Pounds (9 kilograms) of assorted beads, mostly blue
5 Pounds (2 kilograms) of small, white, glass beads
288 Brass thimbles
Armbands
Ear trinkets
Books, Tables, and Maps
A Practical Introduction to Spherics and Nautical Astronomy
Antoine Simon's Le Page du Pratz's History of Louisiana
Barton's Elements of Botany
Dictionary (4-volume)
Linnaeus (2-volume edition), the Latin classification of plants
Richard Kirwan's Elements of Mineralogy
The Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris
Tables for finding longitude and latitude
Map of the Great Bend of the Missouri River [4]
Alongside with the preparation of equipment, Lewis prepared himself under several disciplines that served to improve his leadership aspect for the expedition. Having only the experiences gained from the voyages of James Cook, Lewis was to gather and learn information about the terrain that he will be venturing into. Fortunately, he was prepared under the teachings of President Jefferson who had Lewis as his personal secretary. Along with Jefferson, Lewis learned from “ astronomer Andrew Ellicott, botanist Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, surveyor and mathematician Robert Patterson, physician Dr. Benjamin Rush, and anatomist Dr. Caspar Wistar (Rush and Wistar were both members of the American Philosophical Society)” during the spring of 1803.[5]
With all the equipment ready for the expedition along with many different disciplines, Lewis and Clark and other men embark on the journey.
[1]Avenius, S. (2010). A Review of "Meriwether Lewis". Hisotry: Review of New Books, 38(2)
[2]Finkel, Paul, "Clark, William". Encyclopedia of United States Indian Policy and Law, 1 Pg 800
[3]National Park Service. “The Journey – Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of History Places Travel Itenerary.” NPS.gov http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/journey.htm
[4] National Geographic, The Journals of "Lewis and Clark" web
http://www.nationalgeographic.com /lewisandclark/resources_links.html
[5]National Park Service. “The Journey – Lewis and Clark Expedition: A National Register of History Places Travel Itenerary.” NPS.gov http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/journey.htm