William Clark
William Clark was an American explorer, soldier, and territorial official who co-led the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) across the western United States to the Pacific Ocean. After the expedition, Clark was appointed Brigadier General of militia for Louisiana Territory and served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs at St. Louis from 1807 until his death. As Superintendent, Clark was the principal U.S. negotiator for dozens of treaties with Native American nations in the trans-Mississippi region. He negotiated or witnessed more treaties than any other individual in this collection, playing a central role in the diplomatic framework that shaped relations between the United States and Indigenous peoples of the Missouri and Mississippi river valleys during the early 19th century.
Portrait: Charles Willson Peale, c. 1807
Related Locations
Treaties (33)
Art (13)