The Corps of Discovery

On August 31, 1803, two hundred and six years ago today, Meriwether Lewis set off by boat from Pittsburgh with his dog and a small crew of men, in what would become one of the greatest expeditions of discovery in American history. William Clark joined the party that October and the two men led their Corps of Discovery to explore the American West. Very little was known about this vast region of our young country (as evidenced by the 1803 map, below), much of it newly purchased from France. Today, we zip back and forth over the miles in a few hours on a plane or at 70-plus miles an hour in our cars. At the time, however, water travel was the fastest means of transportation - but only if you were traveling with the current! Ascending the Missouri River, the Corps spent two years, four months and ten days exploring the West. Along the way, they interacted with several Native American tribes, French-Canadian fur traders, and observed a vast landscape unimagined by most in the world at the time. During the journey, Lewis and Clark prepared about 140 maps of the area, showing rivers, prairies and mountain ranges, hitherto unknown by those in the East. Another major accomplishment of the expedition was a better understanding of the Northwest's natural resources. During the trip, the Corps successfully documented 122 species of animals and more than 178 plants. They even sent a caged prairie dog, which had never been seen in the East, to President Jefferson as a gift. Over the two-year journey, the expedition made more discoveries of landscapes, rivers, native cultures, zoology, and botany of North America than any scientific expedition to date. Today, you can read the full text of the Lewis and Clark journals (almost 5,000 pages) at this website. A vast treasure trove of other information about the expedition can be found by just typing "Lewis and Clark" into your favorite search engine. For those of us living, working and playing in the modern world it's almost impossible to imagine the sense of exploration and adventure the Corps of Discovery experienced. Yet, if we open ourselves to the wonder and majesty of nature, starting in our own backyards, we can still feel a deep sense of connection, appreciation and love for the living Earth and all her creatures. Pack up the kids and become your own Corps of Discovery today!