Unit 7

HALEY ,Trey, Matt, James

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Lewis to head an expedition to explore the newly-bought Louisiana Territory in order to trade. Jefferson also wanted information on the plant and animal life of the American West. This was the first official expedition to cross the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis chose Clark as the co-leader of the expedition, the two men had been friends since childhood.

Short Timeline

On May 14, 1804, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left Camp Dubois (Illinois) and headed west into half a continent of land largely unmapped and unknown to people of the United States and Europe. As the Corps of Discovery set out, no one realized the journey ahead would cover more than 7,500 miles and last almost two and half years.On Oct. 16, 1805, the Expedition arrived at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers, the site of today's Sacajawea State Park. They camped here for two nights, hunting, repairing equipment and meeting some 200 Sahaptin-speaking Indians in the area. The Sacajawea State Park and Interpretive Center features the Lewis and Clark Room which tells the remarkable story of these early explorers. The exhibits highlight their activities at this site and the role of their interpreter, Sacagawea

Maps where Lewis and Clark went

Lewis and Clark

The impact of the westward expansion on the country was that when Lewis and Clark came back from there journey, The people from the east started moving towards the westward and the population begin to grow and grow.