A biography of
Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both
Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to
Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped-for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever. It is also a tale of the bravery and skill of the expedition's Indian guide,
Sacajawea.
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Background Information
Thomas Jefferson assigned the task of exploring the land acquired by the Louisiana Purchase, along with some not yet acquired, to William Clark and Meriwether Lewis. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the Democratic-Republican Party and was the third President.
