Even we average students may recall that the United States bought the Louisiana Territory from a "motivated seller." Foreign policy reverses in 1802 and 1803 persuaded Napoleon to focus his attention and resources on Europe. And almost everyone knows that Lewis and Clark sailed up the Missouri River in 1804 to explore the real estate acquired the year before. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned them to map the area, record strange new plants and animals, and seek a water route to the Pacific Ocean.

If some particulars, say, total square miles (850,000) or price ($15 million) or the explorer’s first names (Meriwether and William) escape us now . . . well, how long has it been since Mr. Murphy intoned that our grade might depend on remembering such trifles?

Details, however, often shape history’s most intriguing plots. For instance, many are surprised to learn that James Monroe, not Jefferson, negotiated the Louisiana Purchase. More astonishing, Monroe closed the deal without actual authorization! Jefferson had dispatched Monroe as a special envoy with instructions to assist Robert Livingston, U.S. Minister of France, to buy the port of New Orleans – or at least land on the east shore of the mouth of the Mississippi – from Napoleon. Failing that, clinching perpetual rights to commercial navigation on the river would constitute tolerable success. The United States, in effect, would have settled for dock space in New Orleans.

The president, though gifted and insightful, likely did not envision the larger proposition Monroe and Livingston would get from France. Perhaps neither did Napoleon himself. The offer, made through French Minister of Foreign Affairs Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord on April 11, 1803, was the sale of the entire Louisiana Territory, or no deal. Napoleon needed this urgent solution due to failed foreign policy. Disaster in Haiti (a combination of yellow fever and Toussaint L’Ouverture’s revolution nearly wiped out 20,000 of Napoleon’s garrison there) and renewed imminence of war with England came to a head after Monroe arrived in France.

With sailing ships for communication, the American envoys had no way to confer with Jefferson when Talleyrand offered them Bonaparte’s all-or-nothing-at-all proposition. In May, 1803, Monroe and Livingston said: All.

A year later, on the banks of the Missouri River in St. Charles, Lewis, Clark and 45 stouthearts assembled from nearby communities to launch the expedition that author Stephen Ambrose has dubbed "this nation’s Odyssey."

Ambrose captures the distinction of the moment, 3:30 p.m. on May 21, 1804, describing their departure from Saint Charles:

As the keelboat turned her bow into the stream, Lewis and his party cut themselves off from civilization. There would be no more incoming letters, no orders, no commissions, no fresh supplies, no reinforcements, nothing reaching them, until they returned.

The captains expected to be gone for two years, perhaps more. In all that time, in whatever lay ahead of them, whatever decisions had to be made, they would receive no guidance from their superiors. This was an independent command, such as the U.S. Army had not previously seen and never would again. Lewis and Clark were as free as Columbus, Magellan, or Cook to make their mark on the sole basis of their own judgments and abilities.

Their first afternoon together on the Missouri, they made three and a quarter miles. They camped that night on the head of an island on the starboard side. Spring storms continued and a hard rain lasted through the night. At 6:00 a.m., May 22, they were on their way.

Stephen Ambrose, Undaunted Courage, "Ready to Depart, April – May 21, 1804"

A Short History of Lewis and Clark

Thomas Jefferson

As early as 1783, Thomas Jefferson proposed an exploration into the present northwester United States but was frustrated by a lack of support to carry out this project and by the fact that Spain and France governed the territory. Jefferson’s desire was fueled by an eagerness to explore for scientific knowledge, to expand our young nation’s expanse and to locate a more direct commercial route to southeast Asia that would eliminate the need to sail around South America. An Englishman, Alexander Mackenzie, happens to have been the first of European descent to cross the North American continent; he crossed the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the coast of present British Columbia (1792-1793). Jefferson was concerned that England would lay claim to the northwest coast. With his ascension to the presidency in 1801, and the U.S. purchase of the Louisiana Territory (1803), he had the authority to launch his expedition. Jefferson called upon his close friend Meriwether Lewis to undertake this task. Lewis likewise called upon a longtime acquaintance of his, William Clark to assist him. Together Lewis and Clark assembled a crew of over forty men and traveled some 6,000 miles charting the course of the Missouri River to its source, crossed the Rocky Mountains into uncharted lands, and located a route to the Pacific Ocean. Travel now to the next station to learn of their preparations at Camp Wood River.

Camp Wood River
December 12, 1803–May 14, 1804
By December 1803, Lewis and Clark had arrived in St. Louis and selected the site of the Dubois or Wood River on the Illinois side of the Mississippi opposite its confluence with the Missouri River to spend the winter. Official notification of the passage of the Louisiana Territory into American hands had not yet been received by Spanish and French officials who controlled St. Louis and since the expedition was a military undertaking, Lewis and Clark thought it prudent to remain on the U.S. side of the Mississippi until after a flag changing ceremony (which occurred in March 1804). Clark commandeered Camp Wood River while Lewis stationed himself in St. Louis to negotiate with and seek the advice of officials, merchants, and fur trappers there. Clark recruited and trained about forty men who would form the Corps of Discovery. When spring arrive and the rivers were not flooding, the Corps of Discovery departed Camp Wood River—the date was May 14, 1804. Two days later they would arrive in St. Charles and await Captain Lewis’ overland arrival from St. Louis.

St. Charles
May 16–21, 1804
Clark arrived in St. Charles with three boats (one keelboat and two pirogues), and about forty men on May 16, 1804. While awaiting Lewis’ arrival from St. Louis they rearranged their boat’s stowage, made more purchases, and enjoyed the hospitality of the inhabitants. Lewis and Clark had probably already been in St. Charles in March when they accompanied officials from St. Louis up the Missouri River to quell and Indian uprising. The arrival of the Corps of Discovery was probably anticipated in St. Charles and Clark noted on several occasion the hospitable nature of the inhabitants. The crew was invited to dinners, a dance, they attended a church service here and seemed to enjoy what would be their last visit to an established town for about two and a half years. There was one unfortunate incident that occurred in St. Charles, three men who were to guard the boats and their camp were caught leaving their posts and were sent before a court-martial on May 17. Court-martials occurred several times on the journey and served as a means of discipline. Lewis arrived in St. Charles with a group of well-wishers from St. Louis on the 20^th and the group departed the next day, cheered from the shore.

Meeting the Indians
August–September 1804
One of President Jefferson’s instructions for the expedition was to contact the various Indian groups whose lands they would be passing through and to inform them of the changes made by theLouisiana Purchase. Their first council was held on August 2 with the Missouri and Oto Indians near present-day Council Bluffs, Iowa. Clark warned the crew to be "on guard and ready for anything." This first conference was peaceful, the peace pipe was smoked and gifts of special medals with Jefferson’s likeness on them were given along with cloth, gunpowder, and promises for more trade.

Fort Mandan
November 2, 1804–April 7, 1805
As winter approached, the men settled at a site across the river from a village of friendly Mandan Indians. As snow fell and the temperature dipped, Fort Mandan was completed as their winter quarters. Lewis and Clark often visited not only with the Indians but also with trappers and traders who lived in the area. One day a French-Canadian trader named Charbonneau came to the fort and asked to be taken on as a guide and interpreter. He was hired but it was his young wife, Sacagawea, who was to become a very important member of the Expedition. Sacagawea, a Shoshoni Indian girl, had been kidnapped several years before and was traded and passed between tribes until she became Charbonneau’s wife. In February, 1805, Sacagawea gave birth to a baby boy, known as "Pomp" to the members of the Expedition.

On to the Rocky Mountains
April 7–July 27, 1805
In April 1805 the Corps of Discovery left Fort Mandan accompanied by Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and their infant son. In less than three weeks they arrived at the place where the Missouri River and the Yellowstone River meet. Here the men saw an area that was a hunter’s paradise filled with elk, beaver, buffalo and waterfowl. One day they came close to sinking one of their canoes which contained vital supplies but Sacagawea was able to save most of the articles that washed overboard. They marveled at the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and not long after came to the Great Falls of the Missouri River. The falls were beautiful to see but it took two weeks for the men to pull, push, and haul their equipment around them. The men were sore and exhausted yet they remained cheerful and determined. They finally reached the Three Forks of the Missouri River, the very area where Sacagawea had been kidnapped several years before. They now started searching for the Shoshoni Indians from whom they hoped to obtain horses, critical if the Expedition were to cross the mountains.

The Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean
August, 1805–December 7, 1805
It was already August 1805 and the men had not found the Shoshoni Indians. Finally Lewis and two others made contact with the Indians and their chief, Cameahwait. They all set out to meet Clark and the rest of the party. When Sacagawea saw the people of her childhood she was overcome with happiness and when she saw the chief, she wept for joy; she recognized him as her brother. The party bargained for horses and an Indian guide to help them over the mountains. They were to endure rain, snow, sleet, and hunger but pushed on until they could see the prairie and an Indian village far below. Soon the men were cutting large trees to fashion canoes to travel the fast-flowing rivers of the West. They stopped only for rest and food and took many risks since winter was fast approaching. The Columbia River was finally reached but dangerous rapids were obstacles before they arrive at the Pacific Ocean, the goal of the long, hazardous Expedition.

Fort Clatsop
December 7, 1805–March 23, 1806
Ft. Clatsop—On December 7, 1805, the party chose a site for their winter quarters along a river seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Clark’s plan called for a stockade of fifty feet square, with two rows of common-walled cabins. Slowly Fort Clatsop took shape. It was built of the "streightest and most butifullest logs" the men could find, and, it was named for a tribe of friendly Indians who lived nearby.

When the cabins were completed, they set to work on "a house to put meat into." Deer and elk were abundant. During the dreary, cold winter months, the men repaired their weapons, dressed skins and made clothes for their homeward journey. The captains wrote in their journals. Although thoughts of home were ever-present, the captains knew it would be foolish to start back until April of the following year for the winter snow lay deep along the plains of the Columbia and in the Rocky Mountains.

How do we know so much about the Lewis & Clark Expedition?

We have accurate details of the Lewis and Clark Expedition because Thomas Jefferson instructed the men to keep daily journals of their activities. Because of these journals and their diligent authors, we have amazing details about day-to-day occurrences. There is information about the various plants and animals which were seen each day as well as information about rocks, minerals, and land formations. Of great interest were the many Indian tribes the Corps of Discovery encountered. Detailed maps were also drawn and included in these journals.

The Return Trip Begins
March 23–August 12, 1806
Lewis and Clark had hoped that while they were at Fort Clatsop a trading ship would happen upon them and that they could charter passage back to the East Coast. Unfortunately none appeared and the trip back was to be arduous also. The first section involved travel against the current of the Columbia, Snake, and Clearwater Rivers, then back across the Rocky Mountains. Once they arrived at the Great Falls, the party split—Lewis traveled northward and Clark went south along the Yellowstone River. While exploring, Lewis and three others met a group of fierce Blackfoot Indians. When the Indians tried to take their weapons and horses, a brief struggle took place and one Indian was stabbed and another shot. These were the only Indians killed during the entire expedition. The explorers pushed their horses at top speed back toward the Missouri River in fear that a large part of the Blackfoot might pursue them. Meanwhile, Clark and twenty others explored the area of the Yellowstone River for several days and then traveled down the Missouri to join Lewis. Clark experienced a moment of anxiety when he did not find Lewis among the men and saw him lying wounded in a canoe. By mistake, Lewis had been shot by one of the crew while hunting. Clark dressed the wound of his friend often as they continued down the Missouri River.

Staying Healthy in the Wilderness
The men of the Expedition were young and healthy but it was amazing that only one man died. Charles Floyd became ill during the early days of the Expedition and died, probably of a ruptured appendix. The others survived boils, dysentery, frostbite, dislocated limbs, insect and snakebites. Lewis and Clark carried a medicine chest filled with medicine and supplies but their common-sense leadership in health matters was an important factor. They also learned cures from the Indians one of which was a sweat bath treatment which was used on some of the ailing men. On the return trip, as they ran low on trade items, Lewis and Clark gave out laxatives, eyewash, and dressed sores for the Indians in exchange for food and supplies.

Meeting the Indians
At the outset of the journey, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was curious, if not fearful, as to how the various Indian tribes would react to their presence. However, the explorers were able to meet on friendly terms with the Indians; they gave gifts, peace offering and avoided violence. Along the route, a few Indians acted as guides. Of vital importance to the Expedition were horses, and Lewis and Clark were able to obtain sturdy horses from the Shoshones, who were experts on breeding the animals.

A balck man, named York, was a member of the Expedition, and, he caused much curiosity amongst the Plains Indian tribes. However, further West, among Indians who had never seen white or black men, less distinction was made over the man York. Lewis and Clark recorded the societal structure and culture of the Indians they encountered, and, their writings provided the first knowledge of the Indians of the West.

Return to St. Charles (September 21, 1806)
St. Louis (September 23, 1806)
After nearly two and a half years away from civilization the crew arrived back in St. Charles—from Clark’s journal:

" . . . we arrived in Sight of St. Charles, the party rejoiced at the Sight of this hospitable village plyed thear ores with great dexterity and we Soon arrived opposit the Town . . . we saluted the Village by three rounds from our blunderbuts . . . we were met by great number of inhabitants, we found them excessively polite . . . the inhabitants of this village appear much delighted at our return and seem to vie with each other in their politeness to us all."

The crew remained for the night of the 21^st sheltered in several St. Charles homes and the next morning, after a rain shower, proceeded toward St. Louis. Their arrival in St. Louis on the 23^rd was heralded by a great party for the Expedition.

After the Expedition
Lewis had begun writing his report to President Jefferson while still on the Missouri River. The very day that Lewis arrived in St. Louis he posted his preliminary report to Washington (September 23, 1806). The route that they had discovered was not conducive to traders bound for Southeast Asia; the route around the Cape of Good Hope remained the more practical route. Lewis described the distances traveled as: 2,575 miles by boat, thence 340 across land; thence 140 across mountains, 60 miles of which are snow covered year round; finally another 640 miles by boat down the Clearwater, Snake and Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean making the one way trip from St. Louis to the Pacific about 3,695 miles. Their exploration did encourage fur trappers and traders to tap the enormous quantity of fur-bearing animals in the mountain valley areas and more commercial and military explorations were soon made also. Lewis and Clark’s maps and scientific observations were eventually published by various persons and added significantly to an understanding of the American West. Lewis was appointed governor of the Louisiana Territory (1807–1809) and Clark was appointed brigadier general of the militia and superintendent of Indian Affairs (1807–1813) and later became territorial governor of the Missouri Territory (carved from the Louisiana Territory in 1812) in 1883, and office he held until 1820.

Corps of Discovery - Preparation & Early History

The journey of the Corps of Discovery encompasses the known and the unknown. Thomas Jefferson had been interested in exploration of the western continent dating back to the 1780s at least. Of four expeditions which were proposed, but never carried out, Jefferson initiated three. A major problem that had to be considered was that such exploration would travel through land which did not belong to the United States, and might be construed as hostile or at least inappropriate.
   In 1803, the tide turned with great significance. Another expedition had been in the planning since the previous year, and the confounding factor which had created problems in the past was resolved with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French. Jefferson was finally able to mount the expedition that had been a lifelong goal.
   Meriwether Lewis, whom Jefferson had chosen to lead the ambitious expedition, set out from Washington for Pittsburgh, where he would begin the lengthy trek down the Ohio River to the Mississippi, and thence to St. Louis, on July 5, 1803 - one day after the Louisiana Purchase was announced. He had spent previous months in the Philadelphia area, provisioning for the trek. He arrived on the afternoon of July 15, only to find that the boat he had expected to be finished by July 20 was nowhere near completion. It would be August 31 before he could embark from Pittsburgh.
   Although Lewis' spirits sank constantly (along with the level of the river, unfortunately) during the delay, two bright spots marked the darkness of these 47 days. His chosen partner, William Clark, accepted the offer to participate in the expedition. Lewis received this good news on July 29. Several days later, he purchased a large black Newfoundland dog as a companion for the trip. He named the dog Seaman.  

September to November of 1803 found Lewis on the Ohio River, well behind his planned schedule. His party travelled only about 4 miles before having to get out and physically lift the boat past a low water point. By the end of the first day, the crew had made a scant ten miles.
   Again and again on this leg of the journey, the boat would have to be unloaded and physically carried past the obstructions made powerful by the low water. The delay at Pittsburgh waiting for construction to finish was costly in more ways than one. Lewis' original plan to make some headway past St. Louis before winter in 1803 looked less and less likely.
   It is generally conceded that the expedition truly begins on August 15, 1803. On this day Lewis negotiated the treacherous falls of the Ohio, and disembarked at Clarksville, in the Indiana Territory. It was here that he met again with William Clark, under whom he had served a few years earlier.
   Meriwether Lewis had asked for Clark to be his co-captain in the endeavor, knowing Clark to be almost perfectly complementary in skills, what Lewis liked, Clark possessed, and vice versa. He also knew that the rugged woodsman was "competent to the task, that his word was his bond, that his back was steel"(1). History suggests that he could hardly have made a better choice.

  For the next two weeks, the captains set to the task of choosing the first of their crew. Apparently, word of the upcoming expedition had spread, and there was no lack of choice. Historical records suggest that, although nine members were picked at this time, perhaps ten times that number were passed over for one reason or another. The spirit of adventure was truly alive in the young country - the Corps of Discovery had begun to take shape!
   The expedition embarked from Clarksville on Oct 26, 1803 and reached Fort Massac, in Illinois sixteen days later. Two days later they reached the conjunction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and on November 20 began to head up the Mississippi towards St. Louis, where they had decided to spend the winter. It was the beginning of a trek against the river currents, rather than with them. The force of the river, and the effort that it took to move men, boats and equipment against the oncoming flow must have convinced the captains there and then that they needed to double the size of their party.
   Along the way to St. Louis, there is evidence that the party stopped at Cape Girardeau and Kaskaskia. At the latter, additional crew were selected. Clark left here with the boats and most of the party, heading for the mouth of Wood River, just above the burgeoning town of St. Louis. Lewis went ahead on land to prepare for the winter encampment.