Voyage of Discovery

Did you know that Thomas Jefferson did not want anybody to know about the Voyage of Discovery? This was not a voyage on a sea. It was a voyage on rivers and land west toward the Pacific Ocean. The purpose of the trip was to map out more of the land, especially the land that made up the Louisiana Purchase.

Thomas Jefferson had only one person he wanted to lead this trip. It was Meriwether Lewis. Lewis became Jefferson's private secretary after Jefferson became President.

Why did Jefferson think Lewis was right for the voyage? Because Lewis had been in the army and knew how to survive in the wilderness. He was also skilled at using a boat on a river.