What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

When Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the "Corp of Discovery" left St. Louis, Missouri, on May 21, 1804, their mission was to explore the vast, unknown territory acquired a year earlier in the Louisiana Purchase. The travelers hoped to find a waterway that crossed the western half of the United States. They didn't. However, young readers will love this true-life adventure tale of the two-year journey that finally brought the explorers to the Pacific Ocean.Judith St. George has published dozens of successful nonfiction books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning So You Want to Be President? and the historical Turning Point series, including You’re On Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt; Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln; and Take the Lead, George Washington. You can visit her online at www.judithstgeorge.com.

In history books the names of two men, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, are always linked. Their names could almost be one word: LewisandClark. They had much in common. They were both from Virginia. Both served in the US Army in the late 1700s, where they became friends. Both men were intelligent and brave. Born leaders, they were experienced woodsmen who could survive in the wild. But their names are linked because together they were cocaptains of a famous journey across the North American wilderness. They headed up a two-year-long trip all the way from the Midwest to the Pacific Ocean—and back again. Their journey became known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition.