Last updated: April 21, 2024

During my trip along the West Coast, I decided to stop and visit the Lewis and Clark Historical National Park (NHP) which proved to be most interesting. While I was there, I watched two documentaries provided by the park that gave two perspectives of the Lewis and Clark expedition; 1) the Native American perspective and 2) the one from Lewis and Clark. I thought both were really intriguing and researched more about Lewis and Clark afterwards. Below is a high level overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

A Little History

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery and chose his personal secretary and U.S. Army Captain, Meriweather Lewis as the leader who selected William Clark as his partner. The goals of the Corps of Discovery was to explore the Louisiana Purchase, and establish trade and U.S. sovereignty over the native peoples along the Missouri River. Jefferson also wanted to establish a U.S. claim to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory by documenting an American presence there before other European nations could lay title to the land.

In May of 1804, a total of 45 people headed off to explore West of the Mississippi. In August, a 22-year-old Corps member named Sergeant Charles Floyd died of an abdominal infection (probably appendicitis). It was the only death during the almost 2.5 year journey.

Along the way, they met French-Canadian trapper Toussaint Charbonneau and hired him as an interpreter. They allowed his 16-year old pregnant Shoshone Indian wife, Sacajawea, to join him on the expedition. Lewis and Clark hoped she could help them communicate with any Shoshone they’d encounter on their journey. She was the only woman who accompanied them. I was super interested in Sacajawea and learned she was kidnapped from her village by Hidatsa Indians when she was 12, sold and entered into a non-consensual marriage to Charbonneau when she was 13 (he was 50 and had another wife). The one good thing that came about for her as she joined Lewis and Clark was that she was unexpectedly reunited her with her brother whom she had not seen since she was kidnapped.

Lewis wrote this of the encounter in his journal:

When trade negotiations were ready Sacajawea was sent for; she came into the tent, sat down, and was beginning to interpret, when in the person of Chief Cameahwait she recognized her brother: she instantly jumped up, and ran and embraced him, throwing over him her blanket and weeping profusely: the chief was himself moved, though not in the same degree. After some conversation between them she resumed her seat, and attempted to interpret for us, but her new situation seemed to overpower her, and she was frequently interrupted by her tears.

Interestingly enough, Clark actually adopted Sacajawea’s children, Pompey and Lizette and named his biological son after Meriweather Lewis. It’s believed Sacajawea died when she was 25 of a sickness.

In September 1807, Lewis and Clark arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, ending the expedition. The Corps had travelled more than 8,000 miles, produced invaluable maps and geographical information, identified at least 120 animal specimens and 200 botanical samples and initiated peaceful relations with more than two dozen indigenous nations between Missouri and the Pacific Ocean. Researchers now acknowledge that without such contact or help with the Native Americans, the Corps of Discovery would have undoubtedly starved to death or become hopelessly lost in the Rocky Mountains.

Lewis and Clark Aftermath

After their journey ended, Lewis was made Governor of the Louisiana Territory and Clark was appointed Brigadier General of Militia for Louisiana Territory and a federal Indian Agent. Clark remained well-respected and lived a successful life. Lewis, however, was not an effective governor and drank too much. He never married or had children and died in 1809 of two gunshot wounds, possibly self-inflicted.

The Park Today

So now that I’ve outlined the very basic background of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, how does the Lewis and Clark NHP come into play? This park, which was dedicated in November 2004, focuses on the end of their journey, when they stopped and built Fort Clatsop in present day Astoria, Oregon to hunker down and wait out the winter so they could finally head home.

A replica of Fort Clatsop that was built in 2007 and the site where they would have pulled in their canoes is marked. There was lots of what I thought was pretty cool activities for kids scheduled throughout the day and several exhibits.

There are also several trails available to explore and I wish I would have had all day to explore them all. I did take the short trail to see the area where Lewis and Clark would have parked their canoes the day they first stepped foot in the place where they’d build Fort Clatsop at the final stop on their way home.

I took the path to where Lewis and Clark docked their canoe and disembarked to find a place to build their fort. Along the way, there were very tall trees!

The path was a nice wooden walkway and I really enjoyed this short trail!

I was happy to learn the Lewis and Clark NHP included Fort Stevens State Park which holds the remains of a 1900’s shipwreck! The Lewis and Clark NHP is just all around a pretty cool place to visit. I enjoyed it a lot!

So what do you think about American explorers, Lewis and Clark? I only scratched the surface of this epic adventure… there’s so much recorded about this. I mean, really; hats off to Lewis for leading such a successful journey. His meticulous recording paved the road for further exploration to understand more of our world.