Explorers Lewis and Clark Written and Illustrated by Phillip Martin

Lewis and Clark The Louisiana Territory was originally claimed by France in 1699. Over the years, it was ceded to Spain in 1762. In the early 1800s, it was once again owned by France. Napoleon Bonaparte decided to sell it to help finance a war with Britain.

Louisiana Purchase Thomas Jefferson sent diplomats to Paris to discuss the purchase of New Orleans. The budget to buy the city was $10 million. The original plans had nothing to do with the rest of the territory. But, the entire Louisiana Territory was offered for $15 million. (Around 3 cents an acre!) That offer was accepted.

Lewis and Clark The purchase, in 1803, doubled the size of the nation. The territory was 828,000 square miles and included part or all of 15 future states.

Lewis and Clark Jefferson asked Lewis and Clark to explore the territory for new trade, map it, and see if there was a waterway to the Pacific Ocean. The journey would also establish an American claim to the Northwest and hopefully keep Great Britain out.

Lewis and Clark Today, Saint Louis, Missouri, is called the Gateway to the West. On May 14, 1804, the expedition left St. Louis heading up the Missouri River. Together with over 40 men, Lewis and Clark started their trip with a large barge and two smaller boats.

Lewis and Clark The explorers faced problems with some of the people they met along the way. But, in reality, the mission would have failed if not for the help and kindness that other Native Americans provided. Fifteen year old Sacajawea joined the team as an interpreter. The fact that she brought her newborn child made the group seem less threatening to some of the people they met.

Lewis and Clark The team followed the Missouri River to its headwaters in present day Montana. From there, they crossed the Rocky Mountains where they connected to the Clearwater River, the Snake River and the Columbia River. They reached the Pacific Ocean (near what is now Portland, Oregon) in November of 1805. The journey took about a year and a half.

Lewis and Clark The return trip home only took six months! In total, they crossed over 8,000 miles on the journey. Unlike other exploration trips, Lewis and Clark only lost one team member of their “Corps of Discovery” group. There was no scurvy, monsoon, malaria or war party that killed Sergeant Charles Floyd. No, his appendix burst.

Lewis and Clark Lewis and Clark returned to Jefferson with maps of the territory, scientific data gathered about new plants, animals and natural resources, as well as information about the Native Americans already living in the Louisiana Territory. Like it or not, it didn’t take long to inspire settlers to follow in their steps.

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