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Lewis is picked as commander of expedition
This was important to the expedition because Lewis became the appointed man trusted with leading his crew into an unknown world. -
Announcement of Louisiana Purchase
This was important because Lewis and Clark would try to find the boundaries of this land purchase. -
Expedition Begins
This was significant to the expedition because it was the day that Lewis and Clark left for the western border. -
Toussaint Charbonneau, a French Canadian fur trapper living with the Hidatsas, is hired as an interpreter. His wife Sacagawea, a Shoshone who had been captures by the Hidatsas and sold to Charbonneau, is also considered helpful as the Shoshones are said t
By hiring Charbonneau, Lewis and Clark also got the help of Sacagawea, and being naitive to the area, she was able to act as their guide. -
Fort Mandan completed, expedition moves in for the winter.
By building a fort for the winter, the people on the journey had a safe place to stay and rest for the winter before resuming the expedition in the spring. -
Lewis and Clark send the keelboat and approximately a dozen men downriver, with maps, reports, Indian artifacts, and other scientific specimens for Jefferson. The remaining party heads west.
This was significant because it was the first time that Lewis and Clark sent people and specimen back from the mission. -
Lewis and another hunter kill a large grizzly bear which had never before been described for science.
This was the first time that a grizzly bear specimen was sent back and looked at for scientific purposes. -
The expedition reaches the Columbia River
When they reached the river, it marked the final stretch of their expedition before they could return home. -
Clark, who believes he can see the ocean writes his most famous journal entry: "Ocian in view! O! the joy." The expedition is actually still 20 miles from the sea. Terrible storms halt the expedition for nearly 3 weeks.
Lewis and Clark were finally able to see a visible end to their expedition, but then they are unable to reach their destination for another 3 weeks and are left to wait until after the storms. -
By majority vote the expedition decides to cross to the south side of the Columbia River to build winter quarters.
Lewis and Clark had seen the end of their expedition and were building a camp to wait out the winter before returning home. -
President Jefferson welcomes a delegation of Missouri, Oto, Arikara, and Yankton Sioux cheifs who had met with Lewis and Clark more than a year earlier.
President Jefferson was making an effort to make peace with the western tribes after Lewis and Clark had met with them. -
Fort Clatsop is presented to the Clatsop Indian, for which it was named, and the expedition begins the journey home.
After almost 2 years of traveling, Lewis and Clark were finally able to begin to lead the expedition home. -
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With the current of the Missouri behind them, they are able to cover over 70 miles per day. The expedition also begins meeting boats of American traders heading upriver.
The men are able to travel faster. This is also the first time on their journey that they saw signs of their own culture. -
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Lewis and Clark are treated as national heroes. They return to Washington D.C. the men recieve double pay and 320 acres of land as a reward, the captains get 1600 acres. Lewis is named goveneor of the Louisiana Territory, Clark is made Indian agent for th
This signifies that the expedidion is over and their country is grateful for what they have done. -
Lewis and Clark reach St. Louis.
They had finally returned to the place where they had begun their expedition.
