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Secret Message
What happened before the expedition 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. -
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Preparing for the Expedition
how they prepared Spring 1803: Meriwether Lewis begins his training as the expedition's leader in Philadelphia. Summer 1803: In Pittsburgh, Lewis oversees construction of a keelboat, then picks up William Clark and other recruits as he travels down the Ohio River. Fall/Winter 1803: Lewis and Clark establish Camp Wood, the winter camp for their Corps of Discovery, on the Wood River in Illinois. -
Louisiana Territory Ending
history of territory and purchaseLewis and Clark travel to St. Louis to attend ceremonies formally transferring the Louisiana Territory to the United States. -
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Journey Heading To and From
Introduction To: The Corps of Discovery leaves Camp Wood and begins its journey up the Missouri River "under a gentle breeze." From: After a winter of only 12 days without rain, the men present their fort to the Clatsop Indians and set out for home. -
First Independence Day Celebration
Flag history and independence day The Corps holds the first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi River. -
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Native American Encounters
North of present-day Omaha, Nebraska, the Corps holds a council with the Oto and Missouri Indians. The Corps holds a council with the Yankton Sioux Tribe at present-day Yankton, South Dakota. The Corps has a tense encounter with the Teton Sioux near today's Pierre, South Dakota; one of the Sioux chiefs waves his men off and conflict is averted. The Corps attends a Mandan buffalo dance, performed to call buffalo to the area. -
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Animal Species Discovered
Animal Discoveries The Corps enters the Great Plains and sees animals unknown in the eastern United States. The continue to discover many animals until their journey ends in 1806. -
Sacagawea
Who was Sacagawea? Lewis and Clark hire French-Canadian fur-trader Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshone wife, Sacagawea, to act as interpreters on the journey ahead. -
Great Grizzly Bear
The Corps marvels at the abundance of game; they kill their first grizzly bear near the Yellowstone River in Montana. -
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Rocky Mountains
Crossing the Rockies The Corps begins the steep ascent into the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains; the crossing will cover more than 160 miles (260 kilometers). Starving, the men emerge from the mountains near present-day Weippe, Idaho, at the villages of the Nez Perce Indians. -
Journey Ends
Interesting Facts Having found an easier route across the country, the men reach St. Louis nearly two and a half years after their journey began and are acclaimed as national heroes.
