U.S. President Thomas Jefferson had been planning…

1804 CE

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson had been planning expeditions to explore and map the western lands even before the Louisiana Purchase.

He charges Lewis and Clark to "explore the Missouri River, and such principal stream of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean; whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct and practicable communication across the continent for the purposes of commerce". (Donald William Meinig: The Shaping of America: A Geographical Perspective on 500 Years of History: Volume 2: Continental America, 1800–1867. (1995). Yale University Press. p. 65.)

Jefferson also instructs the expedition to study the region's native tribes (including their morals, language, and culture), weather, soil, rivers, commercial trading, animal and plant life.

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Meriwether Lewis View → Thomas Jefferson View → William Clark View →

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Americans View → United States of America (US, USA) (Washington DC) View → Louisiana, District of (U.S.A.) View →

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Louisiana Purchase View → Lewis and Clark Expedition View →

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Exploration View → Government View → Anthropology View → Movements View →

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People: Sergius of Radonezh
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