During the Colonial age, President Jefferson instructed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to conduct an expedition which was intended to prepare the way for extending the American fur trade as well as advancing geographical knowledge. The distinctive accomplishments of Lewis and Clark’s expedition led to one of the most successful explorations to date. This paper will describe the importance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition along with the expansion and growth of the United States.
Jefferson formulated a plan for collecting information of the regions west of the United States with hopes of discovering water routes for traveling. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were handpicked by Jefferson to lead this expedition. “Lewis and Clark were instructed to observe and record the entire range of natural history and ethnology of the areas they explored, and note possible resources which would support future settlement” (The National Park Service, 2015). On April 30, 1803 territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains as well as from the Gulf of Mexico stretching to Canada was purchased by the United States. This purchase is known …show more content…
During this time Lewis and Clark traveled over 8,000 miles. The expedition was funded by taxpayer dollars which was valued at $40,000. This expedition proved to be successful in regards to accomplishing the goals that Jefferson had set. Though a water route to the western territory of America was not discovered various routes to this territory were discovered. Lewis and Clark developed vital maps, discovered various species of animals and developed relationships with American Indians. This Expedition is known to be one of the most important explorations in U.S History. To conclude, the Lewis and Clark Expedition paved the way for future settlement in the western part of America and was one of the first steps of making the United States what it is
Jefferson formulated a plan for collecting information of the regions west of the United States with hopes of discovering water routes for traveling. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were handpicked by Jefferson to lead this expedition. “Lewis and Clark were instructed to observe and record the entire range of natural history and ethnology of the areas they explored, and note possible resources which would support future settlement” (The National Park Service, 2015). On April 30, 1803 territory from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains as well as from the Gulf of Mexico stretching to Canada was purchased by the United States. This purchase is known …show more content…
During this time Lewis and Clark traveled over 8,000 miles. The expedition was funded by taxpayer dollars which was valued at $40,000. This expedition proved to be successful in regards to accomplishing the goals that Jefferson had set. Though a water route to the western territory of America was not discovered various routes to this territory were discovered. Lewis and Clark developed vital maps, discovered various species of animals and developed relationships with American Indians. This Expedition is known to be one of the most important explorations in U.S History. To conclude, the Lewis and Clark Expedition paved the way for future settlement in the western part of America and was one of the first steps of making the United States what it is