Lewis and Clark Expedition

By Veronica Schmitt

  • Beginning of Lewis and Clarck's Journey

    Beginning of Lewis and Clarck's Journey
    Having started upstream on the Missouri River from their St. Louis-area camp—where they had been preparing for the expedition since fall 1803—on May 14, William Clark and nearly four dozen other men met up with Meriwether Lewis on May 20.

  • Middle of the Journey

    Middle of the Journey
    On April 7, 1805, Lewis and Clark sent the keelboat back to St. Louis with an extensive collection of zoological, botanical, and ethnological specimens as well as letters, reports, dispatches, and maps.

  • End of the Journey

    End of the Journey
    On September 23, 1806, after two and a half years, the expedition returned to the city, bringing back a wealth of information about the largely unexplored region, as well as valuable U.S. claims to Oregon Territory.