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15 Fascinating Facts About Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. 

The Lewis and Clark Expedition was a select group of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark. Clark and 30 members set out from Camp Dubois, Illinois, on May 14, 1804, met Lewis and ten other members of the group in St. Charles, Missouri, then went up the Missouri River.  In this article, we highlight 15 fascinating facts about Lewis and Clark Expedition.

1. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to explore and map the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before European powers attempted to establish claims in the region. 

The campaign’s secondary objectives were scientific and economic: to study the area’s plants, animal life, and geography, and to establish trade with local Native American tribes. The expedition returned to St. Louis to report its findings to Jefferson, with maps, sketches, and journals in hand. Read more facts about Thomas Jefferson. 

2. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were appointed as the leaders of the expedition

The Corps of Discovery was a select group of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark.

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. William Clark was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor.

3. The Lewis and Clark Expedition lasted over two years

Clark and 30 members set out from Camp Dubois, Illinois, on May 14, 1804, met Lewis and ten other members of the group in St. Charles, Missouri, then went up the Missouri River. 

The expedition crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas near the Lemhi Pass, eventually coming to the Columbia River, and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The return voyage began on March 23, 1806, at Fort Clatsop, Oregon, and ended on September 23 of the same year.

4. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition

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The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May of 1804 and September of 1806. 

The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, the Corps’ objectives were scientific and commercial to study the area’s plants, animal life, and geography, and to learn how the Louisiana Purchase could be exploited economically.

5. Sacagawea was an important member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Sacagawea was a Shoshone Native American woman who arrived with her husband and owner Toussaint Charbonneau on the expedition to the Pacific Ocean. Her knowledge of the land and her skills as a translator were invaluable.

Sacagawea gave birth to a son named Jean Baptiste Charbonneau during the expedition, making him the youngest member of the journey.

6. The Lewis and Clark Expedition had numerous encounters with Native American tribes

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The campaign’s secondary objectives were scientific and economic: to study the area’s plants, animal life, and geography, and to establish trade with local Native American tribes.

During the expedition, they made contact with over 70 Native American tribes. Examples of these Native American tribes included the Mandan, Hidatsa, Shoshone, and Nez Perce.

7. The Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered numerous plant and animal species

The expedition was sponsored by the American Philosophical Society. Lewis and Clark received some instruction in astronomy, botany, climatology, ethnology, geography, meteorology, mineralogy, ornithology, and zoology.

During the expedition, they made contact with more than 200 new plant and animal species. They collected and documented numerous plant and animal species, expanding the scientific understanding of the region.

8. The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter at Fort Mandan 

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In the winter of 1804 to 1805, the party built Fort Mandan, near present-day Washburn, North Dakota. Just before departing on April 7, 1805, the expedition sent the keelboat back to St. Louis with a sample of specimens, some never seen before east of the Mississippi.

After the expedition had set up camp, nearby Native Americans came to visit in fair numbers, some staying all night. For several days, Lewis and Clark met in council with Mandan chiefs.

9. The Lewis and Clark Expedition were the first team to successfully cross the Continental Divide

The expedition crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas near the Lemhi Pass, eventually coming to the Columbia River, and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. 

The Continental Divide extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic.

10. The Lewis and Clark Expedition reached the Pacific Ocean a year later

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The expedition sighted the Pacific Ocean for the first time on November 7, 1805, arriving two weeks later. The expedition faced its second bitter winter camped on the north side of the Columbia River, in a storm-wracked area. They did not find a continuous waterway to the Pacific Ocean but located a Native American trail that led from the upper end of the Missouri River to the Columbia River which ran to the Pacific Ocean.

11. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was commissioned in Mapmaking

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to explore and map the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before European powers attempted to establish claims in the region. The expedition produced detailed maps of the western territories, providing valuable information for future settlement and expansion. Read more fun facts about the United States of America. 

12. The return journey of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was faster

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On July 3, before crossing the Continental Divide, the Corps split into two teams so Lewis could explore the Marias River. Lewis’s group of four met some men from the Blackfeet nation.

On August 11. As the groups reunited, one of Clark’s hunters, Pierre Cruzatte, mistook Lewis for an elk and fired, injuring Lewis in the thigh. Once together, the Corps was able to return home quickly via the Missouri River. They reached St. Louis on September 23, 1806.

13. The Lewis and Clark Expedition accomplished its key objectives

The Corps expedition met their objective of reaching the Pacific, mapping and establishing their presence for a legal claim to the land. They established diplomatic relations and trade with at least two dozen indigenous nations. 

They mapped the topography of the land, designating the location of mountain ranges, rivers and the many Native American tribes during the course of their journey. They also learned and recorded much about the language and customs of the Native American tribes they encountered, and brought back many of their artefacts, including bows, clothing and ceremonial robes.

14. Lewis and Clark brought Native American Chief Shehaka from their expedition

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Lewis and Clark returned from their expedition, bringing with them the Mandan Native American Chief Shehaka from Upper Missouri to visit President Jefferson in Washington. 

After Chief Shehaka’s visit, it required multiple attempts and multiple military expeditions to safely return Shehaka to his nation.

15. Lewis and Clark have been commemorated over the years

Since the expedition, Lewis and Clark have been commemorated and honored over the years on various coins, currency, and commemorative postage stamps, as well as in a number of other capacities. 

The Lewis and Clark Public School District in North Dakota is named after the pair. Campsite Lewis and Clark in Camp Sandy Beach at Yawgoog Scout Reservation in Rockville, Rhode Island also honors both explorers.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition was extremely successful in its mandated and to crown it all, no casualties were reported during the two years of the entire expedition. It is in this regard that they made it to the annals of history and continue to be commemorated over the years for the resounding work they did to make the United States the democracy we know it to be currently.