- Map of Lewis and Clark's Journey to and from the Pacific
- From national
Geographic
Important Findings of Lewis and Clark’s Expedition
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson headed the Purchase of the Louisiana territory. His hope when sending Lewis and Clark to explore was to find a waterway that passed through the Mississippi River and the Jefferson River in order to make trading smoother and to discover all the mysteries of the Western territory[i]. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, joined by a military Corps of Discovery, set out in May of 1804 for a grueling and treacherous journey in hopes of finding what their new land had in store[ii]. The journey took their voyage through Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, where they discovered Ecology, Biological Sciences, and constructed new maps[iii]. In which case, how did these findings impact the United States?
Having started on the Mississippi river by Keelboat William Clark would Chart Maps aboard the ship. As they passed vast and significant land marks and the course Clark would document every last detail about them while also portraying them on his maps[iv]. The land masses included Hat Rock in Oregon, Tavern Bluff in Missouri, and Beacon Rock in Oregon. Every small river, every huge rock formation, and every flat area of land was recorded. He once claimed to have seen “The grandest site he ever saw”, when the voyage reached the Great Falls of the Missouri River[v]. At the same time Lewis would document his findings on shore, such as the soil, the plants, and animals he would come in contact with[vi]. One animal almost killing Lewis, the Grizzly Bear, on June 14th, 1805, according to Lewis in his journal The Grizzly Bear chased him for 80-90 yards before he could load his gun to shoot down the grizzly[vii].
Once the winter months hit, the Corps of Discovery would make camp. Lewis and Clark would take this time to write a detailed report of all their animal and plant findings, update their maps, and send a ship back to St. Louis with crew members as well as plants and animals[viii].
Throughout their findings, Lewis and Clark documented at least 180 plant species and 120 animal species, as well as miles and miles of rivers and their animal inhabitants, their currents and depth[ix]. Lewis and Clarks findings gave America a new understanding of what their new land
encompassed. The Louisiana territory offered new rivers to use for trade, disclosed the dangerous animals to avoid such as the grizzly bears, animals they could hunt for food such as the deer and elk, presented many rivers but also great plains with an abundance of animals and plants. The United States could use Lewis and Clark’s new maps information to go and produce a life since it was no longer a mystery; they knew what to expect. Lewis and Clark gave America the freedom to expand.
[i] “Teaching with Documents: The Lewis and Clark Expedition,” National Archives, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/lewis-clark, Paragraph 2.
[ii] “Route of Corps of Discovery,” Lewis and Clark Trail, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://lewisandclarktrail.com/, paragraph 1.
[iii] “The Voyage of Discovery,” Nebraska Studies, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0400/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0400/stories/0401_0108.html, paragraph 2.
[iv] “Lewis and Clark: The Journey Begins,” National Geographic, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_1.html, paragraph 1.
[v] “Lewis and Clark Discoveries,” Mr.Nussbaum, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://mrnussbaum.com/history-2-2/lcflash2/, Paragraph 2.
[vi] “Lewis and Clark: The Journey Begins,” National Geographic, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_1.html, paragraph 2.
[vii] Meriwether Lewis, Journals of Lewis and Clark (Riverside Presss Cambridge, 1953) 138-139.
[viii] “Lewis and Clark: Heading Into Danger,” National Geographic, Accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_2.html, paragraph 1.
[ix] “Scientific Encounters,” National Park Service, Accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/encounters.htm, Paragraph 2.
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson headed the Purchase of the Louisiana territory. His hope when sending Lewis and Clark to explore was to find a waterway that passed through the Mississippi River and the Jefferson River in order to make trading smoother and to discover all the mysteries of the Western territory[i]. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, joined by a military Corps of Discovery, set out in May of 1804 for a grueling and treacherous journey in hopes of finding what their new land had in store[ii]. The journey took their voyage through Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon, where they discovered Ecology, Biological Sciences, and constructed new maps[iii]. In which case, how did these findings impact the United States?
Having started on the Mississippi river by Keelboat William Clark would Chart Maps aboard the ship. As they passed vast and significant land marks and the course Clark would document every last detail about them while also portraying them on his maps[iv]. The land masses included Hat Rock in Oregon, Tavern Bluff in Missouri, and Beacon Rock in Oregon. Every small river, every huge rock formation, and every flat area of land was recorded. He once claimed to have seen “The grandest site he ever saw”, when the voyage reached the Great Falls of the Missouri River[v]. At the same time Lewis would document his findings on shore, such as the soil, the plants, and animals he would come in contact with[vi]. One animal almost killing Lewis, the Grizzly Bear, on June 14th, 1805, according to Lewis in his journal The Grizzly Bear chased him for 80-90 yards before he could load his gun to shoot down the grizzly[vii].
Once the winter months hit, the Corps of Discovery would make camp. Lewis and Clark would take this time to write a detailed report of all their animal and plant findings, update their maps, and send a ship back to St. Louis with crew members as well as plants and animals[viii].
Throughout their findings, Lewis and Clark documented at least 180 plant species and 120 animal species, as well as miles and miles of rivers and their animal inhabitants, their currents and depth[ix]. Lewis and Clarks findings gave America a new understanding of what their new land
encompassed. The Louisiana territory offered new rivers to use for trade, disclosed the dangerous animals to avoid such as the grizzly bears, animals they could hunt for food such as the deer and elk, presented many rivers but also great plains with an abundance of animals and plants. The United States could use Lewis and Clark’s new maps information to go and produce a life since it was no longer a mystery; they knew what to expect. Lewis and Clark gave America the freedom to expand.
[i] “Teaching with Documents: The Lewis and Clark Expedition,” National Archives, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/lewis-clark, Paragraph 2.
[ii] “Route of Corps of Discovery,” Lewis and Clark Trail, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://lewisandclarktrail.com/, paragraph 1.
[iii] “The Voyage of Discovery,” Nebraska Studies, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0400/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0400/stories/0401_0108.html, paragraph 2.
[iv] “Lewis and Clark: The Journey Begins,” National Geographic, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_1.html, paragraph 1.
[v] “Lewis and Clark Discoveries,” Mr.Nussbaum, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://mrnussbaum.com/history-2-2/lcflash2/, Paragraph 2.
[vi] “Lewis and Clark: The Journey Begins,” National Geographic, Accessed April 10, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_1.html, paragraph 2.
[vii] Meriwether Lewis, Journals of Lewis and Clark (Riverside Presss Cambridge, 1953) 138-139.
[viii] “Lewis and Clark: Heading Into Danger,” National Geographic, Accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/journey_leg_2.html, paragraph 1.
[ix] “Scientific Encounters,” National Park Service, Accessed April 11, 2014, http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/encounters.htm, Paragraph 2.