Lewis and Clark Set Out: Mapping America's New Frontier
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed Camp Dubois near present-day Hartford, Illinois, on May 14, 1804, with a crew of approximately 45 men in a keelboat and two pirogues. President Jefferson had commissioned the expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase territory, find a practical water route to the Pacific Ocean, and document the geography, flora, fauna, and native peoples of the West. The expedition traveled 8,000 miles over 28 months, reaching the Pacific coast in November 1805 and returning to St. Louis on September 23, 1806. They identified 178 plant species and 122 animal species previously unknown to Western science. Sacagawea, a Lemhi Shoshone woman, served as interpreter and her presence with her infant son signaled peaceful intentions to the tribes they encountered.
May 14, 1804
222 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 14
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