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Who was Meriwether Lewis?

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer and military officer born on August 18, 1774, in Virginia. He is best known for his role as the co-leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a pioneering expedition that explored the western portion of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. The expedition was tasked with exploring the Missouri River and its tributaries, mapping the western territories, and making contact with Native American tribes. Lewis served as the co-leader of the expedition with William Clark and is credited with mapping much of the western United States and helping to open up the West for American settlement. After the expedition, Lewis served as governor of the Louisiana Territory and as a commander of Fort Pickering in Tennessee. He died on October 11, 1809, at the age of 35, under mysterious circumstances that have been the subject of much speculation and debate.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (aka Corps of Discovery)

In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson acquired from France's Napoleon Bonaparte territory that became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson commissioned a two year expedition to explore these lands and chose Meriwether Lewis as the leader. Lewis then chose his friend William Clark as his second in command. Lewis and Clark were accompanied on most of the trip by a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. She was instrumental to the success of their mission as her presence let the Native American tribes they met along the way know that their intentions were peaceful. The mission lasted two years, starting in 1804 and ending in 1806.

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