Lewis and Clark Expedition

Hello there. My name is Meriwether Lewis. A long time ago, a very important man named President Thomas Jefferson gave me a special job. He asked me to lead a grand adventure across a huge piece of land that our country had just gotten, called the Louisiana Purchase. It was a giant mystery. President Jefferson wanted to know what was out there. He also hoped we could find a river that flowed all the way to the giant Pacific Ocean. I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I asked my best friend, William Clark, to be my co-captain. He said yes. Together, we gathered a brave team of men called the Corps of Discovery. In May of 1804, we packed our long boat with supplies, waved goodbye, and started our amazing journey west.

Our journey began on the wide and muddy Missouri River. Every day was a new surprise. We saw enormous grassy fields, called plains, that seemed to stretch on forever. Funny little animals we called prairie dogs would pop their heads out of the ground to watch us go by. It was a wild and beautiful land. Along the way, we met a kind and brave young woman named Sacagawea. She was from a Native American tribe called the Shoshone, and she joined our team with her baby boy. Sacagawea was a wonderful guide. She knew which plants were safe to eat and which ones would make us sick. She also helped us talk with the different Native American tribes we met, which was very important. The biggest challenge was crossing the giant Rocky Mountains. They were like huge, snowy walls touching the sky. It was very cold and difficult, but we helped each other. We also saw giant grizzly bears for the first time. They were much bigger than any bear I had ever seen back home, and we made sure to be very careful around them.

After more than a year of traveling, we finally did it. In November of 1805, we saw the biggest, most beautiful body of water I had ever seen. It was the Pacific Ocean. I was so happy that I wrote in my journal, “Ocean in view. O. the joy.”. We spent the winter near the ocean and then began our long trip home. The journey back was a little faster because we knew the way. When we finally returned, everyone was so excited to see us. We never found one simple river that went all the way to the ocean, but our adventure was a huge success. We made detailed maps of the land, discovered hundreds of new plants and animals, and made friends with many Native American tribes. Our journey helped people understand the beautiful, big country we live in, and it showed that with teamwork and courage, you can accomplish almost anything.