Jefferson wanted to know what was beyond the area West of the Mississippi so he asked Congress to sponsor his journey. Congress was interested in the natural resources and wanted to make military forts. Jefferson chose his private secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead this journey. The co-leader was William Clark. The both of them set up a group of excerpt gunsmiths, cooks, scouts, and carpenters. They also brought along two men who were mixed with Native American and French. Co-leader William Clark brought along his servant an African American who was named York. York was very skillful and was very good at making friends with the Native Americans they met while they journeyed. On the journey the group met a Native American called Sacagawea.
