What two tasks did Thomas Jefferson give to Lewis and Clark?

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to explore and to 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 …

What did Lewis and Clark expedition accomplish?

The accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark Expedition were extensive. It altered the imperial struggle for the control of North America, particularity in the Pacific Northwest. It strengthened the U.S. claim to the areas now known as the states of Oregon and Washington.

When did Jefferson ask for funding for the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

On this day in 1803, Thomas Jefferson requests funding from Congress to finance the Lewis and Clark expedition. Jefferson officially asked for $2,500 in funding from Congress, though some sources indicate the expedition ultimately cost closer to $50,000.

What was the purpose of the Jefferson expedition?

One of the primary objectives of the expedition as directed by President Jefferson was to observe and record the whereabouts, lives, activities, and cultures of the various American Indian tribes that inhabited the newly acquired territory and the northwest in general.

What did Lewis and Clark bring with them?

Native people tried to impose the obligations of kinship on the visitors by means of adoption ceremonies, shared names, and ritual gifts. The Lewis and Clark expedition was in many ways an infantry company on the move, fully equipped with rifles of various kinds, muskets, and pistols. Among the firearms were two blunderbusses.

Who was the Secretary of Treasury during the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

When the president suggested including expedition funding in his regular address to Congress, Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin (1761–1849) urged that the request be made in secret. The message purported to focus on the state of Indian trade and mentioned the proposed western expedition near the end of the document. Thomas Jefferson.

Why did Jefferson ask Congress to fund Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Two years into his presidency, Jefferson asked Congress to fund an expedition through the Louisiana territory to the Pacific Ocean. He did not attempt to make a secret of the Lewis and Clark expedition from Spanish, French, and British officials, but rather claimed different reasons for the venture.

What did Jefferson do with the Louisiana Territory?

Clark accepts, in a letter dated July 18. Jefferson addresses his instructions to Lewis. Lewis stops in Harpers Ferry (in present-day West Virginia) and purchases supplies and equipment. The purchase of the 820,000-square mile Louisiana territory by United States for $15 million is announced.

What was the cost of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Jefferson officially asked for $2,500 in funding from Congress, though some sources indicate the expedition ultimately cost closer to $50,000. Meriwether Lewis was joined by his friend William Clark and 50 others on the journey, including an African-American slave and a female Indian guide named Sacagawea.

When did Lewis and Clark travel up the Missouri River?

When the spring of 1805 brought high water and favorable weather, the Lewis and Clark Expedition set out on the next leg of its journey. They traveled up the Missouri to present-day Three Forks, Montana, wisely choosing to follow the western-most tributary, the Jefferson River.