Government Document
Jefferson’s Message to Congress on the Expedition’s Return
President Jefferson's message to Congress reporting on the successful return of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and requesting compensation for the expedition members. The message included Lewis's statistical tables about the Native nations encountered and information about the geography and natural resources of the Louisiana Territory.
Jefferson presented to Congress Lewis’s summary of the expedition’s findings, including estimates of Native populations, trade potential, and geographical observations. He requested that Congress grant double pay and 320 acres of land to each expedition member, reflecting the dangers and hardships they had endured. Congress approved these awards, making the expedition members some of the first recipients of public land grants west of the Mississippi.
