What were the objectives of the Lewis and Clark expedition?

What was the purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06) was a U.S. military expedition, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, to explore the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest.

What was Thomas Jefferson’s goal for the expedition?

On January 18, 1803, President Jefferson sent a confidential letter to Congress asking for $2,500 to fund an expedition to the Pacific Ocean. He hoped to establish trade with the Native American people of the West and find a water route to the Pacific.

Why did Thomas Jefferson establish the Lewis and Clark expedition?

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 …

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 main goal of Lewis and Clark?

Lewis and Clark had many instructions for their journey, but their main objective was to follow the Missouri River west and eventually find out if they could connect this river with an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark never found this all water route across the continent, but they did fulfill their other goals.

Why did Jefferson want to explore the New World?

Plans were immediately made to explore the new acquisition and establish American claims to the vast region, an area which effectively doubled the size of the United States. Aside from obvious political reasons, Jefferson, as a child of the Enlightenment ,was an immensely inquisitive individual.

How long did it take Lewis and Clark to reach the Pacific Ocean?

This expedition took a total of 28 months and covered 8,000 miles, but its effect on American history and American society today will never be forgotten. In Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark s famous expedition, they successfully made it across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, opening the entire western region to trade.

What did Jefferson want Lewis and Clark to do?

Jefferson’s instructions to fix the trading route to the Pacific by observation meant that Lewis and Clark should mark territory—measure and map it by making marks on paper like a bear makes claw marks on trees.

Who sent Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on an expedition so that trade could be established with western Native American people and so that they could also find a water route to the Pacific Ocean….

What was the outcome of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

In all three respects, the expedition can be considered a success. The Lewis and Clark expedition produced some 140 maps of the region between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Northwest. They accurately charted the course of the Missouri and Columbia Rivers as well as a significant portion of the Rocky Mountains.

Plans were immediately made to explore the new acquisition and establish American claims to the vast region, an area which effectively doubled the size of the United States. Aside from obvious political reasons, Jefferson, as a child of the Enlightenment ,was an immensely inquisitive individual.