For years Jefferson has herd many stories of various accounts where other explorers have explored west Jefferson has been interested in expanding and exploring west to. Jefferson found it important to claim the new territory because he read a book called Voyages of montreal and he saw Britain's declaration of its intent to control the lucrative fur trade of Colombia river. Two years into his presidency Thomas Jefferson was asking congress to fun an expedition through the Louisiana purchase and to the pacific ocean. Jefferson commissioned the expedition and made Lewis captain of the expedition and Lewis then chose Clark to assist him on this journey. Lewis has demonstrated remarkable skills and potential to be a frontiers man. As the expedition was gaining approval and funding Jefferson sent Lewis to learn more about medical cures under Benjamin Rush a physician and humanitarian. The Jefferson sent Lewis for more teaching and was sent to Andrew Ellicott an astronomer who taught him to use the sextant and other navigational equipment. Lewis has shown Jefferson his capacity to learn new things under Jefferson being his teacher. Jefferson had the largest library on the subject of geography in the entire world. Lewis and Clark met near Louisville in October at the falls of Ohio. The expedition had nine men in it. Their goal was to explore the vast territory and establish trade and U.S sovereignty over the native tribes that live along the Missouri river. The U.S. also wanted to establish a U.S. claim of discovery to the pacific north west and Oregon territory by documenting an American presence before the Europeans could claim the land. Jefferson had made metals inscribed with Jefferson on them to show U.S. sovereignty and the solders were to distribute them to any native American tribes they run into.
WMS 4/10/13
WMS 4/10/13