Essay - Lewis and Clarke Expedition Thesis the 'Lewis and Clarke' Expedition...

Lewis and Clarke Expedition

Thesis

***** 'Lewis and Clarke' expedition heralded the rise of a new and mighty American nation. However this exploration also signaled the loss of ***** tribal culture and traditional values, which is why many historians rightly attribute the 'Lewis ***** Clarke' ***** to be ***** 'Beginning ***** the end ' of ***** ***** culture

Introduction

The Lewis and Clarke expedition was a phenomenal one that had a significant impact on the American ***** in terms of both geographical expansi***** and the cultural influence. The exploration was the outcome ***** the long cherished dream and vision of President Jefferson. ***** project, which ***** envisi*****d by Jefferson, was led by Meriwether Lewis, a twenty eight-year-old army officer together with his friend William Clark a 32-year-old ***** man. The expedition was basically a commerci*****l exploration that ***** planned to look into the possibility of using the Mississippi River as a communication route ***** increasing the trade with the native Indians. Jefferson organized a contingent to explore the hi*****r***** unch*****rted territory and to discover a northwest route. Let us look ***** the details of this all important and interesting adventure, which ***** ***** bearings on the whole of ***** American nation.

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The Expedition started almost two centuries back on July 5th, 1803. Meriwether Lewis was appointed by President Jefferson to lead the task. The Louisiana Purchase also greatly lessened the hardship ***** the expedition, as they no longer had the necessity ***** get permission from France. By the end of August 1803 Lewis ***** his small entrouge traveled the Ohio River and on October 15th they were joined by William Clarke in Kentucky. Here the members of the ***** were f*****ally selected ***** ***** group was composed of 32 strong men. The only casualty in whole expedition ***** Charles Floyd who succumbed to appendicitis. On September 23, 1806 the expedition returned back to St. Louis. Overall the expedition had lasted for two years four months and 9 days and the group had traveled a total distance of about 8000 miles. Let us now briefly disc*****s some of ***** important ***** who ***** involved in the *****. [Heritage Foundation]

Meriwether Lewis

Lewis was a military officer and a close associate of ***** Jefferson. He ***** well versed ***** the Indian ways of life and ***** an inquisitive bent of mind and hence was chosen to lead ***** expedition. In his letter to Benjamin Smith Barton, a Naturalist at the university ***** Pennsylvania, Jefferson states that, "It ***** impossible to find a character who ***** a compleat science in botany, natural history, mineralogy & astronomy, joined the firmness of constitution ***** character, prudence, habits, adopted to the woods, & a f*****miliarity with the Indian manners & *****, requisite for this undertaking.... Altho' no regular botanist he possesses a remarkable s*****re of accurate observation on all the subjects of ***** three kingdoms, & will therefore readily single out whatever presents itself ***** to him in either." [***** Nati*****al Expansion Museum]

William