Monthly Gathering—May 2008
Lewis and Clark and the Voyage of Discovery
In 1803, when the United States purchased Louisiana from France, the great expanse of this new American territory was blank—not only on the map, but in our knowledge, as well. President Thomas Jefferson keenly understood that the course of the nation’s destiny lay westward and that a national “Voyage of Discovery” must be mounted to determine the nature and accessibility of the frontier.
He commissioned his young secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead an intelligence gathering expedition from the Missouri River to the northern Pacific coast. From 1804 to 1806, Lewis, accompanied by co-captain William Clark, the Shoshone guide Sacagawea and 32 men, made the first trek across the Louisiana Purchase, mapping the rivers as he went, tracing the principal waterways to the sea and establishing the American claim to the territories of Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The journals they kept resulted in an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and natural history.
Join us (and bring along a friend or two) on Saturday, May 17, for the opportunity to learn more about this incredible journey and these remarkable men. Our guest speaker will be Wayne State adjunct professor and local historian Stewart McMillin. McMillin will illustrate his presentation with photos taken along the Lewis and Clark trail.
Page last updated: Sunday, February 15, 2009