Lewis Clark Expedition

The United States of America has a long background of history in which is accompanied by a list of explorers who explored this nation. These explorers, each discovered parts that made the United States the continent it is today. An important expedition that involved two very important explorers is the, Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as, Corps of Discovery. Thomas Jefferson, who was the president at the moment, chose Meriwether Lewis, whom was a good friend of his, to lead an expedition into the lands west of the Mississippi and to gather information about the plants, animals, and peoples of the region. Lewis accepted Jefferson’s mission, and asks his close friend, William Clark, to help him in the expedition. This expedition had many

obstacles and hardships, were they faced harsh weather conditions, disease, starvation, fatigue, and illness. The expedition has also had several effects on the United States of America such as political and economic effects. The goal for the expedition was to reach the Pacific Coast and seek scientific and commercial purposes along the exploration. During this time period there were no maps of regions, which made it difficult, so they had to memorize and study the region’s geography.
The expedition was led by two men who had the skill of a frontiersman. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson, had picked Meriwether Lewis to be his secretary-aide. In 1803, Lewis was appointed to go on his expedition, chosen by Jefferson, because he had the necessary skills, military discipline, and experience (also they were good friends). Right after Lewis goes off to write to William Clark, a former rifleman whom he had served with in his company, to aid him in leading the U.S. Army expedition, and asked Clark if he would want to accompany him on the expedition. They both were very skilled and smart people. Together they chose forty other men to accompany them. The purpose of this expedition was to find a water route to the Pacific, to develop friendship and trade with the Indians, and to map the new land. Also, they had to take note of the climate and wildlife of the West. This expedition was originally departed from camp woods, just outside St. Louis.
The explorers had to endure a series of hardships; Such as making their way along the Lolo Trail through the Bitterroot Mountains.

The crossing of the Lolo Trail took 11 days and the travelers nearly starved. The expedition had to carry their boats in a process called portaging; they were only able to cover 4 to 5 miles a day. They would finally reach the Pacific coast in November 1805, a year and a half after setting out from St. Louis. They also faced horrible weather, were explorers dealt with thunderstorms, extreme heat and cold temperatures, hail storms and dust clouds. Their worse weather experience happened in 1806 at Fort Clatsop, near the Pacific coast. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, it rained all but twelve days that winter, and the explorers’ clothes rotted off their backs. Along with their hardships and bad weather, the explorers also had to face animals and insects, which didn’t quite go well either. Lewis was nearly killed by a grizzly bear in one recorded instance, and the team was confronted by no less than forty bears on the expedition. Mosquitoes were also a major problem for the explorers. Sergeant John Ordway, the only member of the expedition who made a diary entry during the expedition, wrote in his journal that the mosquitoes were “troublesome” and explained about how they caused swelling in his face and eyes, which slowed them

down.
During the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the explorers came in contact with nearly fifty Native American tribes and soon learned that the various groups had different lifestyles, languages, and opinions of the white men. Some welcomed the explorers and were eager to trade and interact; others acted fearful or threatened. Jefferson had instructed the Corps of Discovery to befriend the Indians, develop trade relations, and collect military and scientific information. Although most encounters with Native American groups proved hospitable to the Lewis and Clark Exploration, the explorers did have one violent incident. When the group reached Travelers Rest in Montana, Lewis led a small team north up the Marias River. The group encountered some Blackfeet Indians and fought them. Although no members of the expedition were killed in the fighting, they killed two Blackfeet. Lewis and Clark developed a ritual when they encountered a new tribe. They held a conference, gave gifts, and explained that the land belonged to the United States with Thomas Jefferson as their new “great father.” Sacagawea was a member of the Lemhi band of the Native American Shoshone tribe, who was a great asset in establishing good relations, who explorers met and had a pleasant encounter with her. Generally, Native Americans helped the explorers as they traveled in the new land. The Indians offered food and valuable advice about geography. And in return Lewis and Clark used their medical supplies and expertise to foster good relations with the Indians and to trade for desperately needed provisions.
Throughout the duration of the journey the expedition met many different tribes that each helped them in different ways. Some supplied them with food others with supplies and others with valuable information. They were able to see that all Indians were different and none were the same. They were also able to realize that Indians weren’t savages; just people who were trying to get by in life.
In this exploration they also faced extreme political effects on The United States of America. One effect was the issue of, Indian relations. America just acquired a great deal of land that was formerly owned by Indians and they now had to explain to them that the land was no longer theirs and that they were now a part of the United States. Indian relations would be fine until they were forced to move off their land. The United States had to set up a new branch of government just for Indian relations. Previous to the expedition there were only little issues of dealing with Indians. An additional political problem that effected the expedition was involving the Spanish government. Jefferson sent the explorers to go explore around and parts of the Spanish territory. The Spanish government was very agitated and uncomfortable, due to that thought that the explorers were or could’ve attack them at any given moment. They sent a small group to interrupt the exploration, nevertheless they nearly missed them.
The Exploration has also had a great economic impact on The United States of America. Readings say that the exploration of the west was actually “the greatest economical impact” on the U.S. After the west had now been explored they realized they had a great deal of land that now had to be settled. The land was so vast and so cheap that it was sold for very low price and sometimes just given away. This caused a huge rush of people to begin flowing west and sparked westward expansion. People began setting up farms and more and more people had opportunities to make a good living. Also people now had the chance to look for gold out west and the Gold Rush began. This is when America really had its boom. Lastly we now had twice as much if not more natural resources than we had before. The country had twice as much land than before and this land was rich with natural resources. Resources such as Oil, Steel and Acres of woods would prove very convenient in the growth of a successful nation. New states were created and the first transcontinental railroad from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Omaha Nebraska was completed in 1869.
There were many outcomes in the Lewis and Clark Expedition and it was an overall very successful expedition. Although the expedition wasn’t an absolute perfection, it changed The United State of America and it made it be the nation it is today. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had many obstacles and hardships that led to significant political and economic effects on America. Not all the outcomes were good but it did mainly help shaped America. This expedition made the nation richer over the next two centuries. The new Americans and many immigrants would wash across the land that was explored and bought, what would eventually become the contiguous 48 United States. This gesture of development would significantly transform virgin forests and grasslands into a landscape of cities, farms, and harvested forests, displacing animal and squeezing the Indians who survived onto reservations.