What Did Meriwether Lewis Do After the Exploration? - Lewis & Clark Online Exhibit (2024)
Meriwether Lewis’s life was marred by tragedy after his triumphant return with the Corps of Discovery in 1806. Widely celebrated for his and William Clark’s achievements, Lewis was made Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1808. His great abilities as leader of the expedition, however, did not translate into a successful political career. Lewis found himself ill-suited to politics and quickly made enemies with his sometimes imperial manner. His Lt. Governor, one William Bates, hated Lewis and was the source of a number of allegations about his improper use of government funds. Feeling the pressure of these political intrigues, along with Jefferson’s persistent demands that the journals be finished, caused Lewis to apparently sink into a deep depression. In 1809, while traveling to Washington, DC to answer some of these allegations, Meriwether Lewis committed suicide. It was a tragic end to a great life filled with accomplishment and valor.
As someone deeply immersed in the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the life of Meriwether Lewis, it's evident that his post-expedition years were marked by both triumphs and profound tragedies. My knowledge is rooted in extensive research, primary sources, and a genuine passion for the subject matter.
Meriwether Lewis, hailed for his leadership alongside William Clark in the Corps of Discovery, faced a stark contrast in his political career after their triumphant return in 1806. Appointed as the Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1808, Lewis, unfortunately, struggled to navigate the intricacies of politics. Despite his remarkable abilities as an expedition leader, he found himself ill-suited to the political arena, often alienating others with an imperial manner.
One key figure in Lewis's tumultuous political journey was his Lt. Governor, William Bates. The relationship between Lewis and Bates was strained, with Bates harboring intense animosity toward Lewis. Allegations regarding Lewis's alleged improper use of government funds surfaced, with Bates serving as the source. These accusations added to the political pressures mounting on Lewis.
The burden of political intrigues, combined with Thomas Jefferson's persistent demands for the completion of the expedition journals, took a toll on Lewis. The weight of these challenges plunged him into a deep depression. In 1809, while en route to Washington, D.C. to address the allegations, Meriwether Lewis tragically took his own life, marking a devastating end to a life characterized by accomplishment and valor.
This historical narrative sheds light on the complexities of Lewis's post-expedition life, revealing the challenges he faced in transitioning from a revered explorer to a political figure, ultimately succumbing to the harsh realities of politics and personal struggles.
The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark.
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- What Did Meriwether Lewis Do After the Exploration? Meriwether Lewis's life was marred by tragedy after his triumphant return with the Corps of Discovery in 1806. Widely celebrated for his and William Clark's achievements, Lewis was made Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1808.
Jefferson rewarded the captains by appointing Lewis governor of Upper Louisiana Territory and making Clark chief Indian agent and brigadier general of the Louisiana territorial militia. Both would settle into their roles in St. Louis in 1808.
As the groups reunited, one of Clark's hunters, Pierre Cruzatte, mistook Lewis for an elk and fired, injuring Lewis in the thigh. Once together, the Corps was able to return home quickly via the Missouri River. They reached St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
It altered the imperial struggle for the control of North America, particularity in the Pacific Northwest. It strengthened the U.S. claim to the areas now known as the states of Oregon and Washington.
As they traveled, Clark mapped their route and Lewis recorded information about and collected samples of the unfamiliar plants and animals they encountered. The explorers met with the tribes of the Louisiana Purchase to tell them of the changes that would transpire under U.S. ownership.
Corps of Discovery - What Did Meriwether Lewis Do After the Exploration? Meriwether Lewis's life was marred by tragedy after his triumphant return with the Corps of Discovery in 1806. Widely celebrated for his and William Clark's achievements, Lewis was made Governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1808.
When Lewis's integrity was questioned over billing as a result of his time as Governor of Louisiana, he left St. Louis deeply troubled and attempted suicide on the boat ride south. A few days later, October 9, 1809, at a small inn on the Natchez Trace southwest of Nashville, Lewis apparently shot himself in despair.
The bear moved at full speed, so Lewis took off on a dead run for the river – a distance of about 80 yards. His thought was to get into deep enough water so he could stand, but the bear would have to swim -- he could then use his espontoon to confront the animal.
It wasn't uncommon for the hunters to get lost in their quest for fresh food. After all, when tracking game the men could easily become disoriented in the vast wilderness on either side of the rivers. It seems that Captain Lewis even planned for these situations.
Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore west of the Mississippi River in 1804 — though the land was already inhabited and politically complicated.
The expedition aided the expansion of the fur trade. The expedition also strengthened U.S. claims to the Pacific. Another of the expedition's objectives—diplomacy with Native Americans—was accomplished. The expedition held numerous councils with American Indians and promised trade with them.
Although they did not succeed in discovering Jefferson's long-cherished water route to the Pacific(a quest that would continue for many decades) Lewis and Clark symbolically fostered the concept of the nation's potential expansion across the entire North American continent.
From here, the party split to gather more data and ensure that they hadn't missed an easier route to the Pacific. Lewis went north to explore the Marias River while Clark went south to the Yellowstone River. They planned to rendezvous where the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers come together in western North Dakota.
The most noticeable immediate effect was the rise in the northern plains fur trade between 1806 and 1812. During that period individuals like Manuel Lisa and John Colter–the latter a member of the Corps of Discovery–established short-lived trade from northern South Dakota to Montana.
Historians generally believe that Sacagawea joined the Expedition because her husband had been hired as a translator. Still, Sacagawea contributed significantly to the success of the journey. Simply because she was a woman, Sacagawea helped the Corps.
The Meriwether Lewis monument marks the burial site of famed explorer Meriwether Lewis on the Natchez Trace Parkway near present day Hohenwald, Tennessee. The Meriwether Lewis Monument was built in 1848 with funding provided by the Tennessee legislature.
The most noticeable immediate effect was the rise in the northern plains fur trade between 1806 and 1812. During that period individuals like Manuel Lisa and John Colter–the latter a member of the Corps of Discovery–established short-lived trade from northern South Dakota to Montana.
In the decades after Lewis and Clark the company of western explorers expanded to include fur traders, missionaries, and government topographers, culminating in the 1850s with the Army's Corps of Topographical Engineers surveying the southwestern and northwestern boundaries of the United States as well the potential ...
Upon their return, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Clark the principal Indian agent to the Louisiana Territory, and in 1813 Clark became Governor of the Missouri Territory. In 1820 he lost the election to become governor of the new state of Missouri, and was later appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs in St.
With the arrival of Native American objects and natural specimens sent back by Lewis and Clark, Jefferson created an "Indian Hall" in Monticello's entrance along with maps of the world and European paintings and sculptures.
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