Meriwether Lewis

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“Born on August 18, 1774, close to Ivy, Virginia, Meriwether Lewis was considered the greatest pathfinder the country has ever had. Coming from his family estate in Locust Hill, he came from a decorated family. His father Williams Lewis, his mother Lucy Meriwether, and his father’s cousin. His mother was a skilled cook and herbalist; her generous and charismatic nature was known throughout the region. His family was one of the first to settle in the region and had a long standing connection and friendship with the Jefferson family.
Thomas Jefferson knew Lewis all his life. In 1779, Lewis’s father died of pneumonia after crossing a freezing river when leaving from the military making a visit to his family. His Mother Lucy shortly after, married a retired officer named Captain John Marks in May of 1780. John Marks moved the entire family to Broad River Valley, Georgia settling in the new Goosepond Community Created by General George Mathews. While in Georgia, Lewis enhanced his skills as a hunter and outdoorsman; he would sometimes go out in the middle of the night in the dead winter with his dogs to go hunting at also eight years of age.
He became fascinated with the outdoors and natural history and wanted to learn more about it. This became a lifelong passion so his mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. Lewis first dealt with a native Indian group. The Cherokee Indians lived in antagonistic proximity to white settlers, but Lewis seemed to be a champion for the Cherokee amongst his own people. Governor George Gilmer of Georgia described the young Lewis as “having inherited the energy, courage, activity, and good understanding of his mother”.
The family grew while in Broad River, Lucy gave b...

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Bibliography
Abrams, Rochonne. "The Colonial Childhood of Meriwether Lewis." Abrams, Rochonne. The Colonial Childhood of Meriwether Lewis. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1978. 218-327.
Bednar, Michael. Nicholas Lewis House-Charlottesville Virginia. February 2002. February 2002.
Clark, Lewis. "The journals of Lewis and Clark." may 31st Thursday 1804 (1804): 6.
Dillon, Richard. Meriwether Lewis: A Biography. New York: Coward-McCann, 1965.
Lewis. "The Journals of Lewis and Clark." Saturday March 15th 1806 (1806): 329.
—. "The Journals of Lewis And Clark." Monday June 17th 1805 (1805): 143.
Slaughter, Thomas P. Exploring Lewis And Clark Reflections on Men And Wilderness . New York: First Vintage Books Edition, 2003. http://www2.vcdh.virginia.edu/lewisandclark/biddle/biographies_html/lewis.html http://www.biography.com/people/meriwether-lewis-9381267

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