The Lewis and Clark Expedition

Thesis Statement

The lewis and clark expedition was the first U.S. overland expedition from the east coast to the west coast of the continent.

Introduction

Named for its two intrepid leaders, Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809) and William Clark (1770-1838), the Lewis and Clark expedition is the most famous journey of exploration in American history. The brainchild of President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the expedition was charged with many goals, but its primary objective was to discover and map a western river system that linked the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson's Corps of Discovery, which ultimately included thirty-one men, a woman, a baby, and a dog, began its exploration in May 1804 from a base camp near St. Louis, Missouri. After traveling an estimated 8,000 miles, the corps returned to St. Louis twenty-eight months later. Knowledge of the expedition and its lasting fame derives from the lengthy and descriptive journals maintained by Lewis, Clark, and four other expedition members (Ronda, 2000).

From conceptualization to completion, the Lewis and Clark expedition evolved in four stages. From spring 1802 to spring 1804, Jefferson's vision of western expansion was realized in the extensive planning and preparation of the expedition. The Corps of Discovery first journeyed from the vicinity of St. Louis to present-day North Dakota, where the expedition camped among the Mandan Indians through the winter of 1804 and 1805. In April 1805, the corps traveled west, over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast, where it camped during the subsequent winter. The fourth and final phase featured the expedition's return to St. Louis, and Lewis's reunion with Jefferson. The Lewis and Clark expedition stands as a remarkable and historic achievement, one rich with lessons for practitioners and students of the leadership process (Stephen, 1996).

Discussion and Analysis

Initially there were 33 in the expedition. Captain Lewis, ...