Meriwether Lewis

William Clark

Frontier Man

Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Virginia. Lewis grew up among the forests and wilderness of the Shenandoah Valley and developed a love of hunting and exploring. Lewis became a soldier at an early age and fought in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. He soon became an officer in the Army and battled the Native Americans in the Northwest Territory of the new nation. Lewis became very educated about the Native Americans and even learned some of their languages.

Jefferson's Personal Secretary

As a neighbor and friend of the Lewis family, Thomas Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis as his personal secretary. He prepared Lewis for two years to explore the lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis studied plants, animals, and navigation at the University of Pennsylvania in preparation. Lewis invited William Clark to co-lead the expedition. Although Congress authorized Lewis as the captain of the expedition, he insisted that he and Clark be considered co-captains during the journey.

The Expedition

Lewis and Clark spent over two years exploring the new frontier, mapping the terrain, and learning about and trading with various Indian tribes. Lewis was considered an outstanding leader and was highly respected by the members of the Corps of Discovery. His journal, which recorded many (not all) of the events of the expedition, is one of the most important documents in American history. As Lewis and Clark made their way west, they were the first to confirm that there was no direct water passage across the continent (Northwest Passage).

Mysterious Death

After successfully establishing Fort Clatsop, Oregon, and after discovering over 300 new species of animals and plants throughout the Great Plains and western mountains, the pair returned. Meriwether Lewis was named the new governor of the Louisiana Territory. On October 11, 1809, Lewis was on his way to Washington D.C., on the famed Natchez Trace when he mysteriously died at a hotel.

Early Life

William Clark was born on August 1, 1770, on his family’s Virginia plantation. At age 14, Clark moved from Virginia to Louisville, Kentucky. Five years later, in 1789, Clark joined the militia to help fight the Native Americans in the Ohio Valley. After becoming an officer in the US Army, Clark retired from service and went back to Virginia to manage his family’s estate.

Exploring the West with Meriwether Lewis

In 1803, Clark’s life would change. After Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase, in which America acquired thousands of miles of land west of the Mississippi River, Meriwether Lewis, one of Clark’s army comrades, invited him to collaborate on an expedition across the new land. Their mission was not only to explore the new land, establish friendly relations with Indians, and to discover new animals and plants, but to find the elusive Northwest Passage. Clark agreed and was made responsible for the expedition’s records and mapmaking.

Roles Following the Adventure

Along with Meriwether Lewis, William Clark spent over two years exploring the new frontier. After successfully establishing Fort Clatsop, Oregon, and after discovering over 300 new species of animals and plants, the pair returned. Clark was appointed principal Indian agent and brigadier general of the Louisiana Militia by Thomas Jefferson. After the deaths of Meriwether Lewis and Sacagawea, Clark adopted her children and became governor of the Missouri Territory in 1813. After an unsuccessful bid for governor of Missouri, Clark was made superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1822. He held that position until his death on September 1, 1838.