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President Thomas Jefferson sends a secret message to congress asking for approval and funding for an expedition of the newly purchased Louisiana territory.
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Meriwether Lewis is chosen to lead the Louisiana expedition
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The expedition begins from near St Louis Missouri with 35 men including Lewis and Clark
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This is the first official meeting between Indians of the west and the United States. Peace is promised.
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The expedition enters the Great Plains and starts to see new animals and plants. In all the expedition records 178 new plants and 122 new animals.
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In now North Dakota, discovers the villages of the Mandans and the Hidatsas. 4500 people live in these villages. That is more people than lived in Washington D.C. at that time.
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The expedition hires Toussaint Charbonneau, a Canadian fur trader living with the Indians, as an interpreter. His young wife was 14 year old Sacagawea and she joined the expedition.
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The expedition completes their winter home called Fort Mandan.
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Sacagawea gives birth to a baby boy, they name him Jean Baptiste.
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The expedition sends a team with artifacts from their journey back to Jefferson. The rest of the team heads west continuing their journey.
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The expedition reaches the three forks of the Missouri River. The expedition continues down the South West fork of the river which they call the Jefferson.
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Lewis and Clark start to cross the Rocky Mountains.
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Lewis and Clark reach the Columbia River, in what is today Oregon.
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Believing he sees the Pacific Ocean, Clark writes "Ocean in View". What he sees is the widening of the Columbia River.
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The expedition reaches th Pacific Ocean.
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After a long winter the expedition heads home.
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Having found an easier way home, the team reaches Saint Lewis, two and a half years after they have began.They become national heroes.
