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The Very Beginning
William Clark was born on August 1, 1770. He was born in Caroline County, Virginia to a family of farmers and slave owners. He also had nine other siblings. -
Start of military career
Although the Revolutionary War was over, Kentuckians continued to fight the Northwest Indian War with American Indians north of the Ohio River. In 1789, nineteen year-old William Clark began his military career by joining a volunteer militia force under Major John Hardin. The targets of Hardin's expedition were Wea Indians on the Wabash River who had been raiding settlements in Kentucky. -
Military Career pt.2
At the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, Clark commanded a company of riflemen who drove back the enemy killing a number of Indians and Canadians. This victory brought the Northwest Indian War to an end. In 1795, Clark was sent on a mission to New Madrid, Missouri. Clark also served as an adjutant and quartermaster while in the militia. -
Corps of Discovery
William Clark resigned his commission on July 4, 1796 and retired due to poor health, he was only 26 years old. He returned to his families plantation near Louisville. Prior to his resignation, Meriwether Lewis had been assigned to Clark's unit as an ensign under Clark's command. In 1803, Lewis recruited Clark, to share command of the newly formed Corps of Discovery. -
Thomas Jefferson and The Corps
Thomas Jefferson, the president of the United states of America at the time asked William Clark And Meriwether Lewis to form a crew to go explore the West, especially the Louisiana purchase. He requested them to gather information about the plants, animals and people of the region. (The picture above is a letter Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark explaining all this). -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis, Clark, and the rest of their team began their journey to St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1804. They went through dangerous waters and harsh weather and endured hunger, illness, injury, and fatigue. Along the way, as Jefferson asked Lewis and Clark kept a detailed journal and collected samples of plants and animals he encountered. -
Assistance from the Native Americans
Lewis and his expedition received assistance in their mission from many of the native peoples they met during their journey westward some Native Americans provided them with supplies during their first winter. It was during this time that expedition picked up a new members Sacagawea. -
The Pacific Ocean
The Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean in November of 1805. They built Fort Clatsop and spent the winter in present-day Oregon. On the way back in 1806, Lewis and Clark split up to explore more territory and look for faster route home. They ran into a group of Blackfeet Indians who tried to steal form them, two of which got shot. -
After expedition
Along with his own family, he cared for the children of Sacagawea after she died in 1812. The next year, he served as governor of the Missouri Territory, he held this position for seven years. Once the territory became a state in 1820, Clark ran for governor but lost the election. -
Clark and the Native Americans
Clark was appointed the superintendent of Indian affairs at St. Louis in 1822. He expressed sympathy for Native American tribes and promoted their interests because he understood them. Also, he agreed with and implemented the policy of Indian removal, negotiating 37 of all the ratified treaties between American Indians and the United States. -
Accomplishments
William Clark has been remembered as one of the country's greatest explorers. The maps he drew helped the U.S. government and the rest of the nation understand the geography of the American West. His journal also provided information about the lands, peoples and animal life of the region. (The picture above is one of his maps). -
Death
William Clark died September 1, 1838. He was of sixty-eight years of age
