Chartering the Expedition
In a letter dated June 20, 1803, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, gave the explorers Lewis and Clark a mission: discover a route across the continent from a starting point near St. Louis, Missouri, out to the Pacific Ocean.
Jefferson’s letter goes on for pages and in great detail. In it, he specified these points:
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Where they were to explore: the Missouri River and connecting waterways
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The resources they would have: equipment such as boats, tents, surveying tools, weapons, and even presents for the natives they would encounter
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The information they were to seek: trading routes. Jefferson explicitly directed Lewis and Clark to seek “direct and practicable water communication across ...
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