Thomas Jefferson had orders for two men, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who were appointed to explore the territory that was purchased in the Louisiana Purchase. The orders that were given to these men were; to find the source of the Missouri River, to find a waterway that connected the east and west coasts, and to find out about the Indian inhabitants and geographical features of the land.
As Lewis and Clark were exploring, an Indian woman accompanied them name Sacajawea. She was a help to them as she was able to communicate with other Indians they encountered.
In 1805, they reached the Pacific Ocean, and a year later, they returned to St. Louis. In two and one-half years, they traveled almost 8,000 miles. Though there were some real hardships, there was very little loss of life.
Lewis and Clark were able to journal about their traveling adventures, and the Journal was published a few years later. The Journal contained information about Indian life, botany, geography, and wildlife, plus journals of their own adventures.
Because of all their explorations, they were able to pave the way for the settlement and acquisition of the Oregon Territory.
Here is a web site you can go to that contains the Lewis and Clark Journals. If you are a child, have your mom or dad help you with this.
http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/
No comments:
Post a Comment