25 Documents
Documents
Historical documents including correspondence, journals, instructions, supply lists, and other primary sources from the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
No documents match your search.
Pre-Expedition Planning (6)
Benjamin Rush's Questions for Lewis
Rush prepared detailed questions covering Native American medical practices, physical characteristics, diet, diseases, morals, and religion. He also provided Lewis...
Jefferson's Confidential Message to Congress
This confidential message to Congress initiated the legislative authorization for what would become the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Jefferson requested...
Jefferson's Instructions to Meriwether Lewis
Jefferson's instructions represent the most important planning document of the expedition. He directed Lewis to observe and record: the names,...
Lewis's Letter to William Clark Inviting Him to Co-Command
Writing from Washington, Lewis described the expedition's objectives and invited Clark to share command: "If therefore there is anything... which...
Lewis's Requisition of Supplies from the U.S. Arsenal
The supply lists included 15 Model 1803 rifles from Harper's Ferry, powder canisters, lead, flints, knives, tomahawks, and the expedition's...
Louisiana Purchase Treaty
The Louisiana Purchase transferred approximately 828,000 square miles of territory from France to the United States, encompassing all or part...
During the Expedition (14)
Clark's Letter to Brother Jonathan Announcing Return
Clark wrote to Jonathan from St. Louis on September 23, 1806, the day of their triumphant return. His letter provided...
Council with the Oto and Missouri Nations
At this first council, Lewis and Clark established the diplomatic protocol they would follow throughout the expedition: raising the American...
Council with the Teton Sioux at Bad River
The encounter began with a council on September 25, 1804, where communication was hampered by the lack of a competent...
Court Martial Proceedings of the Expedition
Military discipline was essential to the expedition's survival, and Lewis and Clark maintained a formal court martial system throughout the...
Lewis's Astronomical Observations and Calculations
Lewis was trained in celestial navigation by Andrew Ellicott and Robert Patterson before the expedition. Using a sextant, chronometer, and...
Lewis's Description of the Great Falls of the Missouri
Lewis wrote: "I wished for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thompson, that I might be enabled...
Lewis's Descriptions of New Animal Species
Among the most notable species described were the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) — which nearly killed several expedition members...
Lewis's Descriptions of New Plant Species
Lewis received botanical training from Benjamin Smith Barton at the University of Pennsylvania before the expedition. Throughout the journey, he...
Lewis's Letter to Jefferson Announcing the Expedition's Return
Writing from St. Louis, Lewis summarized the expedition's key findings: "In obedience to your orders we have penetrated the Continent...
Lewis's Letter to Jefferson from Fort Mandan
This letter accompanied the keelboat returning from Fort Mandan with a crew of soldiers, traders, and the Arikara chief. Lewis...
Private Whitehouse's Journal
Two versions of Whitehouse's journal exist: an original rough journal and a later paraphrased version that Whitehouse apparently prepared for...
Sergeant Floyd's Journal
Floyd's journal is the shortest of the expedition journals, ending abruptly as his illness worsened. His entries record the daily...
Sergeant Ordway's Journal
Ordway's journal is particularly valuable because it covers the entire expedition without the gaps found in Lewis's journal. It documents...
The Journals of Lewis and Clark
Lewis and Clark each maintained separate journals, though Lewis's entries are notably absent for long periods (leading to enduring speculation...
Post-Expedition (5)
Clark's Map of the American West (1810)
Clark drew maps throughout the expedition, eventually compiling them into a master manuscript map that depicted the entire route from...
History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark (Biddle Edition)
After Lewis's death in 1809 left the journals unpublished, Clark entrusted them to Biddle, who produced a readable narrative from...
Jefferson's Message to Congress on the Expedition's Return
Jefferson presented to Congress Lewis's summary of the expedition's findings, including estimates of Native populations, trade potential, and geographical observations....
Land Warrants Issued to Expedition Members
On March 3, 1807, Congress passed an act granting double pay and land warrants to the members of the expedition....
Sergeant Gass's Journal (Published 1807)
Gass's account was published as "A Journal of the Voyages and Travels of a Corps of Discovery" in 1807. As...
