In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery as a scientific expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase. The goal was to learn more about the Northwest's natural resources, inhabitants, and possibilities for settlement. The Lewis and Clark expedition was the second recorded transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico by white Americans. Their journey was significant in that the first accurate maps of the area were produced, there was a better understanding of the Northwest's natural resources, and they established friendly relations with American Indians. Although they were unable to locate the fabled, elusive Northwest Passage, Lewis and Clark's achievements sparked American interest in the West and strengthened the nation's claim to the area. The coverage includes: Thomas Jefferson's support of the expedition as U.S. president; Meriwether Lewis' and William Clark's preparations for their journey, including gathering advice and purchasing supplies; the party's interactions with American Indians, both friendly and hostile; the animals they encountered; the role played by Sacagawea, a Lemhi Shoshone; and, the expedition's difficult journey across the Bitterroot Mountains.

 

This book is part of a book series called Discovery And Exploration .

There are 128 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by Chelsea House Publishers .

John S. Bowman received a B. A. in English literature from Harvard University and attended Trinity College, Cambridge University, and the University of Munich. Bowman has worked as an editor for more than 40 years and as a freelance writer for almost as long. He has edited 15 works on general history and another 20 on wars and military history, and is the editor of the America at War set from Facts On File and the Almanac of American History Maurice Isserman holds a B. A. in history from Reed College and an M. A. and Ph. D. in history from the University of Rochester. He is a professor of history at Hamilton College, specializing in 20th-century U. S. history and labor history. Isserman was a Fulbright distinguished lecturer at Moscow State University in 1997 and has received numerous other grants, awards, and fellowships. He has written dozens of articles, reviews, reference book entries, and book chapters, and is the author of 10 books, including four Facts On File titles.