LEWIS AND CLARK

Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to the west in 1804 to explore the Louisiana Purchase

He expected them to find mammoths, huge volcanoes, and mountains of pure salt.

But in Montana alone, they found huge waterfalls, grizzly and black bears, and a huge variety of new species.

All over the land west of the Mississippi were tribes of Native Americans, many of which Lewis and Clark befriended on their way to the Pacific Ocean.

They worked closely with a woman named Sacagawea, who helped them find food and guided them.

What had started as just an exploration of new land paved the way for many easterners to move west.
Lewis and Clark are an essential part of Montana history.

CREDITS

• lewisandclarktrail.com
• nationalgeographic.com