Lewis and ClarkLewis and Clark

By:By:Kayla HethermanKayla Hetherman

++Ashley GaffneyAshley Gaffney

Background InformationBackground Information

• Jefferson received Louisiana territory from Napoleon Bonaparte because he was unable to control Haiti.

• Jefferson believed Louisiana territory included Northwest Passage. He was wrong, it does not exist!

• Having possession of the Louisiana property, U.S. would double its size for only 15 million.

• Louisiana territory contained Port of New Orleans. • Jefferson wanted the new territory mapped, and so

began the Expedition of Lewis and Clark.

The Expedition

• Meriwether Lewis was originally chosen to lead the expedition, but he asked William Clark to join him.

• The trip would last 2 and a half years

• 50 soldiers and woodsmen were also taken. Along with Sacajawea, the interpreter and guide, who was met along the way.

The Reason Behind

• Besides just mapping the land, Lewis and Clark were to record observations of what they saw.

• They were to keep detailed journals. • They were also supposed to take

specimens, such as, rocks, animals, and plants.

• They were also supposed to locate the source of the Missouri River.

The Beginning

• On May 14th, 1804, Lewis and Clark began their journey from St. Louis.

• They went against the current of the Missouri River.

• In September, they camped for the winter at the village of the Mandan Indians, today’s North Dakota.

• They set back out on their journey in 1805 with assistance from Sacajawea.

Sacajawea

• Sacajawea helped Lewis and Clark to travel the unfamiliar land. She protected the party from other native lands and natives.

• Sacajawea was a captive of the Mandan Indians and was from the Shoshoni tribe.

• The land was familiar to her because her tribe settled parts of Eastern Nevada, Southern Idaho, and Western Utah.

The Continuation

• Lewis and Clark discovered the mouth of the Missouri river at the Three Forks, beyond the Great Falls, present day Montana.

• They proceeded on foot, crossed the Rockies, and saw hundreds of prairie dogs.

• Traveling on rivers found west of the Rockies, they were able to reach the mouth of the Columbia river in November of 1805.

The Return Home

• They camped at Fort Clatsop near the Pacific over the winter of 1805-1806.

• They turned around from there and began the journey back to St. Louis.

• On the way home, Lewis and Clark split up at Three Forks and they joined up right before Fort Mandan.

• Lewis and Clark returned on September of 1806. • They brought with them many inaccurate facts

other than the map of the Louisiana territory and Oregon country.