Lewis and Clark and
The Corps of Discovery

"The Object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river & such principal stream of it as by it's course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purpose of commerce." - excerpt from a letter from President Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis, June 20, 1803

Thomas Jefferson's letter to Meriwether Lewis initiated one of the most famed voyages of exploration in American history. Over a 3-year period, the expedition, which came to be called the Corps of Discovery, journeyed to the Pacific Ocean and back.

Since the 1780s, President Jefferson had been interested in finding a water route to the Pacific. However, until 1803, he had been unable to put together an expedition to explore the territory west of the United States. By the time the Louisiana Territory was purchased from France (for $15 million) in May 1803, Meriwether Lewis had agreed to lead Jefferson's western exploration and Congress had set aside funds for the voyage. In June, Meriwether Lewis invited Kentuckian William Clark to join the expedition as co-leader. Lewis headed west from Washington, gathering supplies and enlisting crew members, with the goal of meeting up with Clark at the Falls of the Ohio in Clarksville, Indiana (across the river from Louisville, Kentucky) before winter. This portion of the expedition set the stage and was critical to the success of the Corps of Discovery. It has been called the Eastern Legacy.

After securing guns and ammunition from the Federal Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Meriwether Lewis headed to Pittsburgh to supervise the construction of the 55-foot long keelboat that served the expedition. Lewis began his voyage down the Ohio River on August 31, 1803, leaving Pittsburgh with 11 hands, the keelboat, and another small boat. Throughout the month of September, Lewis and his party traveled the Ohio River. Lewis acquired supplies at various points, enlisted new expedition members, and discharged others. John Colter, one of the "nine young men from Kentucky" joined the expedition at Maysville.