1804

1804 - High - The Lewis and Clark Expedition ("Corps of Discovery") departs

On May 14, 1804, the men departed from their camp, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers,  for the Pacific Ocean. They carried provisions for when food was hard to find, , medals of silver for when natives were found, and weapons for whenever they might be necessary. They would be involved in one of the most extensive explorations sponsored by the still-young United States of America. 

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson had completed a controversial transaction: The purchase of millions of acres of land from France. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte had realized that defending the hard-won lands in the New World was not feasible.  The United States had initially pursued an acquisition of New Orleans, at the mouth of the Mississippi River. This would help ensure the ability of the new country to use the great river for trade. When France unexpectedly offered all of it's holdings for relatively small additional price,  the negotiators realized the advantages of the deal. This land comprised a vast swath of the interior of the North American continent, and would greatly expand the boundaries of the United States. There were some questions to be resolved - including whether the land was still France's to offer - but it was eventually accepted. 

The acquisition concluded,  confirming what it included was of prime importance.  Jefferson tapped Meriwether Lewis with the task of exploring the lands, and William Clark was soon on the expedition as well. 

The expedition began using keel boats as they headed up-river. As they continued north and west, the river became slowly narrower, and slowly shallower.  By the end of the year, six months after the official start, the expedition was stopped for the winter in the territory of the Mandan nation. 

The expedition would continue traveling north and west for another year,  crossing the Continental Divide, eventually viewing the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. It would not be until spring of 1806 that they would head back the way they came, arriving back at Camp DuBois in September of that year.