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Expedition Approval
U.S, president Thomas Jefferson sends a secret message to Congress asking for approval and funding of an expedition to explore the Western part of the continent. -
Lousiana Purchase
U.S. representatives sign the Louisiana Purchase treaty. -
Leading the Expedition
Captain Meriwether Lewis, Jeffersons choice to lead the expedition, asked William Clark to serve as co-leader -
Launching the Expedition
Lewis launched the expedition's boat down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, PA. -
Recruited men for the trip
Lewis and Clark met in Clarksville, Indiana, where Clark had recruited men for the trip. -
Camp Dubois
The expedition established winter quarters at Camp Dubois, near St. Louis, Missouri. -
Missouri River
The expedition set out from Camp Dubois and headed up the Missouri River. -
Sergeant Charles Floyd
Sergeant Charles Floyd became the expedition's only member to die on the journey. -
Fort Mandan
The group began to build Fort Mandan in present-day North Dakota for its winter camp -
Speaking with Indians
Lewis and Clark hired the French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshone Indian wife Sacagawea to interpret Indian Languages. -
Missouri River
The journey resumed up to the Missouri River. -
The Great Falls
The group reached the Great Falls of the Missouri River and soon began an 18-mile overland trip around the waterfalls. -
Biterroot Range
The expedition entered the Lolo Trail of the Biterroot Range in the Rocky Mountains. The party took 11 days to cross the mountains under severe weather conditions. -
Pacific Coast Destination
Members of the expeditions reached the Pacific Coast. -
Fort Clatsop
The expedition began to build Fort Clatsop in present-day Oregon for its winter quarters. -
Destination
The expedition arrived back in St. Louis.
