In celebration of our national heritage, we continue our Pride in America series by honoring famous explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
From at least 1783, Thomas Jefferson had eyed an opportunity to send men east of the Mississippi to not only explore more of the continent but also to determine if a direct passage connected the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. In 1803, Jefferson, now president, made the Louisiana Purchase from France, justifying a government-funded exploratory expedition. With the approval of Congress, Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis to lead the Corps of Discovery, who then selected his friend, William Clark, to join him as co-leader. Together, they set off with 43 other men from St. Louis in May of 1804, commencing what would become one of the greatest feats of exploration in American history.
Nothing could have prepared the company for what lay ahead. The expedition began much more slowly than planned as travel up the Missouri proved difficult, and heat and bugs plagued the men. It was during this first stretch that the Corps lost Sergeant Charles Floyd to a ruptured appendix, the only casualty they would suffer on their journey.
Lewis and Clark demonstrated remarkable diplomacy, largely avoiding conflict with the native tribes. In September of that year, they successfully navigated a particularly tense encounter with the Teton Sioux near Pierre, South Dakota, managing to avoid open conflict. But their greatest test came the following year as they approached the Rocky Mountains. With the help of the Shoshone Tribe and Sacajawea, the Corps successfully traversed the Continental Divide through bitter cold and snow, eventually descending through Lolo Pass and into Idaho, where they followed the Clearwater River to the Snake River and the Columbia River to the Pacific.
The Corps returned to St. Louis in September of 1806, where they received a hero's welcome. In total, the company spent just under two and a half years abroad and successfully explored 8,000 miles of the American continent. Lewis and Clark stand as the enduring symbols of the indefatigable spirit that has defined America since its founding.
