The web browser that you are using to visit lewisandclark.state.mt.us does not display the site's style information correctly.
While you are welcome to use the site as is, we recommend using any of today's popular web browsers for a more enhanced user experience. The following web browsers are available free of charge, easy to install, and offer both safe and reliable browsing of lewisandclark.state.mt.us as well as the entire Internet:
Firefox (PC and Macintosh)
http://www.getfirefox.com/
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Windows 98 - Windows XP
Mac OS X | Mac OS 8.1 - 9.x
Netscape Navigator (PC and Macintosh)
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/
Much of the Montana landscape that Lewis & Clark crossed remains unchanged. From river canyons to mountain meadows. Montana's rivers and highways flow past scores of landmarks related to the expedition.
Join us on the trail using our interactive
map. Follow the route of the Corps of Discovery across Montana and take in the historical account of the historic journey as well as plan your own expedition to see and experience the same sites and sights that Lewis and Clark experienced 200 years ago.
| The Expedition Begins In 1804 a hopeful Thomas Jefferson sent Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to find the fabled River of the West. From the time of Columbus, explorers and statesmen had dreamed of a Northwest Passage, an all-water route connecting the trade routes of the Pacific to the Old World of the Atlantic. As president of a still-young nation, Jefferson had pressed for the Louisiana Purchase to strengthen American trade and settlement. The final $15 million-dollar agreement with France doubled America's size overnight. Lewis & Clark in Montana On April 25, 1805, the Corps of Discovery camped by the riverside near the future site of Fort Union. Lewis and Clark hoped they were only weeks away from the Pacific via an all-water route, the mythical Northwest Passage. The group rested and celebrated their arrival at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. The expedition journals noted the spot's potential as a trade location between two navigable rivers, the early highways of commerce. Entering what would be Montana led the expedition into the land of the Blackfeet. Their first contact with this tribe had been less than promising. The Northwest Passage was not Jefferson's only priority. In fact,
of the tasks assigned them, Lewis and Clark accomplished the most within
the modern borders of Montana. Contact and negotiations with native
tribes, the reconnaissance of suitable sites for trading posts and forts,
and scientific accounts of the land's plants, animals, and scenic resources
were all in keeping with Jefferson's hopes for the expedition. Montana Unspoiled Adventure Lewis & Clark Survey
|
Expedition Planner Follow this link to plan your Montana adventure. You'll find quick links to Lewis and Clark camping sites, equipment rental, guided adventures, Indian Nations, Montana cities and lodging opportunities. Corps Features We invite you to use this page to explore the expedition in more depth. We have a collection of Ken Burns video clips so you can view many historic points of discovery as they appear today. Look over our timeline, expedition history and journal entries. Visit Montana's Indian Nations and view tribal histories. Links & More Check out our links to additional details and accounts of the expedition. You'll find indepth data on everything from the anthropology to the zoology of the journey west, discussion about the political climate of the era, and even biographical information about the explorers lives, prior to and following the expedition. |
