Lewis served in the army and was neighbors with Thomas Jefferson
March 6, 1801 - Lewis was asked by President Thomas Jefferson to be his secretary
April 1803 - Lewis was chosen by President Jefferson as commander of an expedition, referred to as the Corps of Discovery, to explore new land purchased from the French
Lewis asks William Clark, a military leader and explorer, to join him in the expedition and share the command, which Clark accepts
July 4, 1803 - Public announcement of the Louisiana Purchase
July / August - Preparations made for the expedition along with recruitment consisting of about 40 men.
May 14, 1804 - The Expedition of the new land acquired via the Louisiana Purchase begins at the Missouri River. The land stretched from the Mississippi River all the way to the Pacific Ocean
July 4, 1804 - The expedition marks first 4th of July west of the Mississippi by firing the keelboat's cannon, and naming Independence Creek
April 7, 1805 - Lewis and Clark send the keelboat and 12 men back with maps, reports, Indian artefacts and other scientific specimens for President Jefferson
March 23, 1806 - The Lewis and Clark expedition begin the journey home
1807, Jefferson appoints Lewis as governor of the Louisiana Territory and he settled in St. Louis
illiam Clark married Julia Hancock on January 5, 1808, at Fincastle, Virginia, and they had five children
Meriwether Lewis Died on October 11, 1809 aged 35 - his death is a mystery some say suicide, others say it was murder
1820 - After Julia's death William Clark married his first wife's first cousin, Harriet Kennerly Radford. They had three children
