Lewis+and+Clark

888888888888888 The Lewis and Clark Expedition 888888888888888888 The Corps of Discovery

Thomas Jefferson greatly expanded the United States with what must have been the greatest real estate deal in history: The Louisiana Purchase. This 'tract' of land had originally belonged to France, but at the end of the French Indian war France lost control of it to Spain. It was announced in 1764 that Spain now had control of Louisiana. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte (who would become emperor of France in 1804) secretly acquired the Louisiana territory,but Spain continued to control it. In 1803, the United States purchased the territory from France for $15 million. This came to less than 3¢ per acre. Jefferson wanted Meriwether Lewis to conduct an expedition through this unknown land. However, Spain had not heard of this land deal between France and the US. They refused to allow Lewis and his partner William Clark to travel on the Missouri River. The explorers were forced to spend the winter at Camp DuBois in Illinois until the matter could be settled. Lewis and Clark were finally able to set out on their voyage May 14, 1804. Their journey would take them all the way to the Pacific Ocean. They kept detailed journals of the weather and documented the longitude and latitude of their travels. They also noted the plants, nuts, berries and animals they observed along their route. Native American indians were a vital part of their success and are also documented. Click here to begin reading their journals!