What, you may ask, was the relevance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? Well, for one thing the expedition was the first written account of life and nature on the west side of the Mississippi River. The expedition also showed the route of the Missouri River and were it eventually ended up. Lewis and Clark both astonished and amazed the United States with their discoveries and recordings. If it wasn't for President Jefferson's vision of exploring the western frontier, then the United States might not have prospered the way the did.
In Lewis and Clarks journals, they wrote of sights they had seen during the day in order to make accurate and detailed maps of the land. Lewis also wrote of their encounters with the Indians in order to become more involved with their culture, languages, and customs. Most of the Indians Lewis and Clark encountered were welcoming and eager to greet them. They enjoyed the American gifts which Lewis brought and gave them food in return. The Indians were amazed at what the Americans brought, they had never seen anything like that before. They communicated with the Indians through sign language because they didn't have a translator until Sacagawea joined the expedition. The Indians told them of the severe crossings ahead, and were told not to venture that far west. Lewis told them they had to complete the task and were not going to stop, so the Indians gave them the careful instructions on how to cross the mountainous area. They warned them of a place called the "Great Divide" which was jut passed the Bitterroot Mountains. The Indians gave them horses to in order to complete the next part of their journey. Lewis and Clark were very fortunate and honored the Indians with their respect. .
Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery made great discoveries that would make a major contribution to the United States Army. They recorded the lands geography, drew up its environmental features, and surveyed the area and infrastructure.
