The Lewis and Clark Expedition

<p>The <strong>Lewis and Clark Expedition</strong>, also known as the <strong>Corps of Discovery Expedition</strong>, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the <a title="Louisiana Purchase" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase">Louisiana Purchase</a>. The <a title="Corps of Discovery" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_of_Discovery">Corps of Discovery</a> was a select group of <a class= "mw-redirect" title="U.S. Army" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Army">U.S. Army</a> and <a title="Civilian" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian">civilian</a> volunteers under the command of Captain <a title="Meriwether Lewis" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis">Meriwether Lewis</a> and his close friend Second Lieutenant <a title="William Clark" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Clark">William Clark</a>. Clark and 30 members set out from <a title="Camp Dubois" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Dubois">Camp Dubois</a>, Illinois, on May 14, 1804, met Lewis and ten other members of the group in <a title="St. Charles, Missouri" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Charles,_Missouri">St. Charles, Missouri</a>, then went up the <a title="Missouri River" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_River">Missouri River</a>. The expedition crossed the <a title= "Continental Divide of the Americas" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Divide_of_the_Americas">Continental Divide of the Americas</a> near the <a title="Lemhi Pass" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemhi_Pass">Lemhi Pass</a>, eventually coming to the <a title="Columbia River" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River">Columbia River</a>, and the <a title="Pacific Ocean" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a> in 1805. The return voyage began on March 23, 1806, at <a title="Fort Clatsop" href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Clatsop">Fort Clatsop</a>, Oregon, and ended on Sep