In the early nineteenth century, President Thomas Jefferson of the United States sought to propose an expedition to Congress with the intent of finding a “Northwest Passage,” a series of interconnected rivers that would assist in transporting goods across the continent to the Pacific Ocean and ultimately to ports overseas, greatly expanding the nation's economic potential. In January 1803, Jefferson asked Congress for $2,500 to fund an expedition up the Missouri River and asked Meriwether Lewis, a young army captain and friend of the President, to lead the expedition. In a written letter to Lewis, Jefferson described the primary pursuit of the presented expedition thus: “To explore the Missouri river,. such principal stream of it, as, by its …show more content…
The voyage lasted around twenty-eight months, and its group traveled around eight thousand miles. Throughout the expedition, the group interacted with Native Americans, animals, and plants; its two leaders documented all information in their journals, which were to be read by Jefferson. Albeit a “Northwest Passage” wasn’t discovered, the expedition provided priceless information about wildlife, terrain, and indigenous inhabitants of the far Western territories. After researching the extensive journey and its profound contributions to our understanding of the American West, I wish I had been a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition since it was a tremendous journey of exploration, discovery, and adventure (the hike of a lifetime?). It would have been a chance to explore the immensity of uncharted territory and encounter new cultures and tribes. The expedition was a turning point since it opened up vast areas of America’s West to settlement and provided valuable knowledge about the geography and biology of the region. It also laid the groundwork for westward expansion, which is also a tragic development since it hurt Native American …show more content…
Two standard weapons were the Model 1795 Springfield Musket and the Blunderbuss. All the various models of the Model 1795 were roughly “five feet long” and could mount a “triangular bayonet of about fifteen inches.” Its barrels were “smooth bored, around forty-five inches long, with a bore of.69 [inches].” Conversely, the blunderbuss contained a “funnel-shaped tip” such as “a vessel or a coach.” The weapon’s bore ensured to intimidate the enemy when directly facing it with its wide front, allowing for the spread of the ammunition. With proper supplies and mental strength, the group–titled the “Corps of Discovery”—was now ready to embark on its journey. With around forty-five total members and one dog on board, the Corps of Discovery headed to St. Louis, where the expedition would begin. Party members did not know what to expect, heading into uncharted territory. What would be uncovered remained a question for them.for now, they didn’t know what territory they were walking into: its bitter weather, unpredictable Native tribes, wild animals, and geographical challenges. What they did know, though, was their courage and devotion to their