Meriwether Lewis was born in Ivy, Virginia on August 18, 1774 while his counterpart William Clark was born on August 1, 1770 in Caroline County, Virginia. An Army officer, Lewis was also a family …show more content…
35). Having served alongside Lewis, Clark had also attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he garnered knowledge pertaining to scientific skills as well as expertise in celestial navigation and pertinent wilderness survival techniques (Thackeray and Findling, 2016, p. 35). Jefferson’s longstanding desire to explore the continent led way to Lewis being hired and provided legal, commercial, and political objectives for an expedition into uncharted territory (Miller, 2008, p. 1). Ultimately, the U.S. purchase of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803 would set the stage for these two individuals to address these issues and thus leave a permanent impact on American history. The Lewis and Clark Expedition took place from 1803 to 1806 and was the government’s first sponsored exploration