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Jefferson Sends a Message
U.S. President Thomas Jefferson sends a message to Congress asking for approval and funding of an expedition to explore the Western part of the continent -
Spring 1803
Meriwether Lewis begins his training as the expedition's leader in Philadelphia. He writes Clark to ask him to join him in command. Clark Accepts -
News of the Louisiana Purchase is announced
Lewis now had the job of exploring land largly owned by the United States. -
Leaving Pittsburgh
Large keelboat constructed in Pittsburgh, overseen by Lewis. After construction Lewis takes it down the Ohio River picking up Clark and recruits along the way. -
Camp Wood
Lewis and Clark establish Camp Wood, the winter camp for their Corps of Discover on the Wood River in Illinois. -
Expedition begins
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Independence Creek.
Expedition marks first 4th of July west of the Mississippi by firing the keelboat's cannon, and naming Independence Creek. -
Meet With Indians
Corps of Discovery meet with representatives of the Oto and Missouri Indians, give peace medals, 15 star flags and other gift -
Charles Folyd
Charles Floyd dies of a probable burst appendix. Captains name hilltops where he is buried Floyd's Bluff and a nearby stream, Floyd's River. -
Meeting with council with Yankton Sioux
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Prarie Dog
All of the men attempt to drown a never-before-seen prarie dog out of its hole for shipment back to Jefferson. -
Teton Sioux
Confrontation with Teton Sioux, who demand one of the expedition's boats as a toll to travel farther upriver. Chief Black Buffalo resolves situation before any fighting. -
Mandan and Hidatsas Indians.
Expedition discovers earthlodge villages of the Mandan and Hidatsas Indians -
Sacagawea
Toussaint Charbonneau a fur trapper living with the Hidatsas, is hired as an interpreter. His wife, Sacagawea a Shoshone who had been captured by the Hidatsas and sold to Charbonneau, is also considered helpful as the Shoshones are said to live at the headwaters of the Missouri. -
Fort Mandan completed
Fort Mandan completed, expedition moves in for the winter. -
Jefferson welcomes
President Jefferson welcomes a delegation of Missouri, Oto, Arikara, and Yankton Sioux chiefs who had met with Lewis and Clark more than a year earlier. -
Pomp
Sacagawea gives birth to baby boy, Pomp -
April 7
Lewis and Clark send the keelboat. and a dozen men back downriver, with maps, reports, Indian artifacts and other scientific specimens for Jefferson. The remaining party heads west. -
Grizzely Bear
Lewis and another hunter kill a large grizzly bear which had never before been described for science -
Judith River
Clark names the Judith River in honor of a girl back in Virginia he hopes to marry -
Great Falls of Missouri
Scouting ahead of the rest of the expedition, Lewis comes across the Great Falls of the Missouri -
Gallatin, the Madison, and the Jefferson
The expedition reaches the three forks of the Missouri River, and name them the Gallatin, the Madison, and the Jefferson -
Beaverhead Rock
Sacagawea recognizes Beaverhead Rock and says they are nearing the headwaters of the Missouri, and her people, the Shoshones. Lewis and three others scout ahead. -
More Mountains
The shipment sent from fort Mandan arrives in the East and is delivered to Jefferson. Lewis ascends the final ridge toward the Continental Divide expecting to see plains and a river flowing to the Pacific, but he finds even more mountains -
Brother of Sacagawea
Lewis discovers a village of Shoshones and tries to negotiate for horses, it is discovered that the Shoshone chief Cameahwait is Sacagawea's brother. Lewis and Clark name the site Camp Fortunate. -
Horeses
The expedition sets out with a Shoshone guide called Old Toby, along with 29 horses and a mule. -
Travelers Rest
The expedition camps at a spot Lewis and Clark called Travelers Rest to prepare for the mountain crossing. -
Expidition out of mountains
After nearly starving in the mountains the expedition emerges near present-day Weippe, Idaho -
Columbia River
The expedition reaches the Columbia River -
Near the ocean
Clark sees Mount Hood in the distance, named by a British sea captain in 1792, proof that they are near the ocean -
Ocean
Clark, who believes he can see the ocean writes his most famous journal entry: "Ocian in view! O! the joy." The expedition is actually still 20 miles from the sea. Terrible storms halt the expedition for nearly 3 weeks -
Winter quarters
By majority vote the expedition decides to cross to the south side of the Columbia River to build winter quarters. -
Jefferson Welcomes
President Jefferson welcomes a delegation of Missouri, Oto, Arikara, and Yankton Sioux chiefs who had met with Lewis and Clark more than a year earlier. -
Begin Journy Home
Fort Clatsop is presented to the Clatsop Indian, for which it was named, and the expedition begins the journey home -
May to Late June
The expedition reaches the Bitterroot mountains, but must wait for the snow to melt before crossing them. During this time the expedition again stays with the Nez Perce, Lewis describes them as "the most hospitable, honest and sincere people that we have met with in our voyage. -
Smaller Groups
Having crossed the Bitterroots again, the expedition breaks into smaller groups in order to explore more of the Louisiana Territory -
Pompy's Tower
Clark names a sandstone outcropping Pompy's Tower, after sacagawea's son, nicknamed Little Pomp. On the rock face Clark enscribes his name and the date. -
Blackfeet 26th-27th
While making their way back to the Missouri, Lewis' party encounters eight Blackfeet warriors. They camp together, but the morning of the 27th the party catches the blackfeet attempting to steal their horses and guns. During a fight two of the Blackfeet were kille -
Reunited
All of the parties are reunited downstream from the mouth of the Yellowstone River -
Mandan village
The expedition returns to the Mandan village. Charbonneau, Sacagawea, and (Pomp) Jean Baptist stay -
St. Louis
Lewis and Clark reach St. Louis. -
Fall 1806 (home)
Lewis and Clark are treated as national heroes. They return to Washington, D.C. The men receive double pay and 320 acres of land as reward, the captains get 1,600 acres. Lewis is named governor of the Louisiana Territory, Clark is made Indian agent for the West and brigadier general of the territory's militia.
