Lewis & Clark

Related Terms • 13 Colonies • Thomas Jefferson • Louisiana Purchase

Definition: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from St. Louis in 1804 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Along the way, they hired several guides, among them a Native American woman named Sacagawea, who led them the entire trip west to the Pacific Ocean and back again. Lewis & Clark observed other cultures, their customs, their food and clothing, their agriculture, and all sorts of other aspects of their society. In addition, the explorers discovered the existence of a large number of animal and plant species that Americans hadn't know about before. They returned to territorial America in 1806 and passed their findings on to all Americans.

Related Resources:
Lewis and Clark
Get details on the expedition, profiles of the leaders and of Sacagawea, maps, current explorations, and much more!

The Westward Movement
Follow along the trail, rails, and waterways as American explorers and settlers make their way west.

Elsewhere on the Web:
The Journey of Lewis & Clark
This site is fun to look at and explore. It includes images and discussions of things that Lewis & Clark brought back from their travels.

The Journals of Lewis & Clark
Read about their adventures and explorations in their own words.

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