20 Best Books About Lewis And Clark (Jan 2023 Update)

In 1803, when the united states purchased louisiana from france, the great expanse of this new american territory was a blank — not only on the map but in our knowledge. president thomas jefferson keenly understood that the course of the nation's destiny lay westward and that a national "voyage of discovery" must be mounted to determine the nature and accessibility of the frontier. he commissioned his young secretary, meriwether lewis, to lead an intelligence-gathering expedition from the missouri river to the northern pacific coast and back. from 1804 to 1806, lewis, accompanied by co-captain william clark, the shoshone guide sacajawea, and thirty-two men, made the first trek across the louisiana purchase, mapping the rivers as he went, tracing the principal waterways to the sea, and establishing the american claim to the territories of idaho, washington, and oregon. together the captains kept a journal, a richly detailed record of the flora and fauna they sighted, the indian tribes they encountered, and the awe-inspiring landscape they traversed, from their base camp near present-day st. louis to the mouth of the columbia river. in keeping this record they made an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and the writing of natural history. the journals of lewis and clark, writes bernard devoto, was "the first report on the west, on the united states over the hill and beyond the sunset, on the province of the american future. there has never been another so excellent or so influential… it satisfied desire and created desire: the desire of the westering nation."

The beautifully illustrated story of two unlikely friends who led the united states’ first expedition in search of the fabled northwest passage—based on the acclaimed pbs documentary. in the spring of 1804, at the behest of president thomas jefferson, a party of explorers called the corps of discovery crossed the mississippi river and started up the missouri, heading west into the newly acquired louisiana territory. the expedition, led by two remarkable and utterly different commanders—the brilliant but troubled meriwether lewis and his trustworthy, gregarious friend william clark— was to be the united states' first exploration into unknown spaces. the unlikely crew came from every corner of the young nation: soldiers from new hampshire and pennsylvania and kentucky, french canadian boatmen, several sons of white fathers and indian mothers, a slave named york, and eventually a shoshone indian woman, sacagawea, who brought along her infant son. together they would cross the continent, searching for the fabled northwest passage that had been the great dream of explorers since the time of columbus. along the way they would face incredible hardship, disappointment, and danger; record in their journals hundreds of animals and plants previously unknown to science; encounter a dizzying diversity of indian cultures; and, most of all, share in one of america's most enduring adventures. their story may have passed into national mythology, but never before has their experience been rendered as vividly, in words and pictures, as in this marvelous homage by dayton duncan. plentiful excerpts from the journals kept by the two captains and four enlisted men convey the raw emotions, turbulent spirits, and constant surprises of the explorers, who each day confronted the unknown with fresh eyes. an elegant preface by ken burns, as well as contributions from stephen e. ambrose, william least heat-moon, and erica funkhouser, enlarge upon important threads in duncan's narrative, demonstrating the continued potency of events that took place almost two centuries ago. and a wealth of paintings, photographs, journal sketches, maps, and film images from the pbs documentary lends this historic, nation-redefining milestone a vibrancy and immediacy to which no american will be immune.

In the spring of 1804, lewis and clark set out on a voyage launched by thomas jefferson, to explore the wilderness between the missouri river and the pacific coast. this volume contains the vivid daily record of their epic trek. revised reissue. in the spring of 1804, meriwether lewis and william clark began a voyage launched by president thomas jefferson. their mission was to explore the wilderness between the missouri river and the pacific coast, paving a path for an infant nation ravenous for land. traversing a territory that would go on to become 10 states, this volume provides a unique and colourful record of their epic trek.

Though primarily a biography of meriwether lewis, this book also provides fascinating sketches of thomas jefferson, william clark, sacagawea, & other contemporaries. from the bestselling author of the definitive book on d-day comes the definitive book on the most momentous expedition in american history and one of the great adventure stories of all time. in 1803 president thomas jefferson selected his personal secretary, captain meriwether lewis, to lead a voyage up the missouri river to the rockies, over the mountains, down the columbia river to the pacific ocean, and back. lewis was the perfect choice. he endured incredible hardships and saw incredible sights, including vast herds of buffalo and indian tribes that had had no previous contact with white men. he and his partner, captain william clark, made the first map of the trans-mississippi west, provided invaluable scientific data on the flora and fauna of the louisiana purchase territory, and established the american claim to oregon, washington, and idaho. ambrose has pieced together previously unknown information about weather, terrain, and medical knowledge at the time to provide a colorful and realistic backdrop for the expedition. lewis saw the north american continent before any other white man; ambrose describes in detail native peoples, weather, landscape, science, everything the expedition encountered along the way, through lewis's eyes. lewis is supported by a rich variety of colorful characters, first of all jefferson himself, whose interest in exploring and acquiring the american west went back thirty years. next comes clark, a rugged frontiersman whose love for lewis matched jefferson's. there are numerous indian chiefs, and sacagawea, the indian girl who accompanied the expedition, along with the french-indian hunter drouillard, the great naturalists of philadelphia, the french and spanish fur traders of st. louis, john quincy adams, and many more leading political, scientific, and military figures of the turn of the century. this is a book about a hero. this is a book about national unity. but it is also a tragedy. when lewis returned to washington in the fall of 1806, he was a national hero. but for lewis, the expedition was a failure. jefferson had hoped to find an all-water route to the pacific with a short hop over the rockies-lewis discovered there was no such passage. jefferson hoped the louisiana purchase would provide endless land to support farming-but lewis discovered that the great plains were too dry. jefferson hoped there was a river flowing from canada into the missouri-but lewis reported there was no such river, and thus no u.s. claim to the canadian prairie. lewis discovered the plains indians were hostile and would block settlement and trade up the missouri. lewis took to drink, engaged in land speculation, piled up debts he could not pay, made jealous political enemies, and suffered severe depression. high adventure, high politics, suspense, drama, and diplomacy combine with high romance and personal tragedy to make this outstanding work of scholarship as readable as a novel.

An investigation into the discoveries of lewis and clark and other early explorers of america and the terrible acts committed to suppress them – provides archaeological proof of giants, the fountain of youth, and descriptions from lewis’s journals of a tribe of “nearly white, blue-eyed” indians – uncovers evidence of explorers from europe and asia prior to columbus and of ancient civilizations in north america and the caribbean – investigates the smithsonian conspiracy to cover up lewis and clark’s discoveries and what lead to lewis’s murder meriwether lewis discovered far more than the history books tell–ancient civilizations, strange monuments, “nearly white, blue-eyed” indians, and evidence that the american continent was visited long before the first european settlers arrived. and he was murdered to keep it all secret. examining the shadows and cracks between america’s official version of history, xaviant haze and paul schrag propose that the america of old taught in schools is not the america that was discovered by lewis and clark and other early explorers. investigating the discoveries of spanish conquistadors and olmec stories of contact with european-like natives, the authors uncover evidence of explorers from europe and asia prior to columbus, sophisticated ancient civilizations in north america and the caribbean, the fountain of youth, and a long-extinct race of giants. verifying stories from lewis’s journals with modern archaeological finds, geological studies, 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, and accounts of the world in the days of columbus, the authors reveal how lewis and clark’s finds infuriated powerful interests in washington–including the smithsonian institution–culminating in the murder of meriwether lewis.

Meriwether lewis and william clark did not embark on their epic trek across the continent alone-dozens of men and eventually one woman accompanied them. the towering triumph of the lewis and clark expedition is due in no small part to the skill and fortitude of such men as sgt. charles floyd, the only expedition member to die; sgt. patrick gass, who lived until 1870, the last surviving member of the expedition; sgt. nathaniel hale pryor, husband to an osage woman; and york, clark's slave, who was freed after the expedition. the men who were instrumental to the success of the lewis and clark expedition come to life in this volume. clarke affords readers precious glimpses of those who have long stood in the shadows of lewis and clark. disagreements and achievements, ailments and addictions, and colorful personalities and daily tasks are all vividly rendered in these pages. the result is an unforgettable portrait of the corps of diverse characters who undertook a remarkable journey across the western half of the continent almost two hundred years ago.

Charles fritz: 100 paintings illustrating the journals of lewis and clark unites exquisite western art with one of our nation's greatest epics. the result of a decade of comprehensive research and on-location painting, this expanded collection of 100 paintings depicts the triumphs and travails of the corps of discovery's two-and-a-half-year trek through unknown territory to the pacific ocean and back between 1804 and 1806. although several members of the corps of discovery kept journals, an artist did not accompany the expedition. unlike almost every expedition since, there had been no one to visually document the unique people, landscapes, animals, and plants never before seen by americans living in the east. with artistry and a passion for historical accuracy, charles fritz, one of the nation's most respected western artists, brings the journals of lewis and clark to life, telling this remarkable american story visually-and for the first time allowing us to experience what the corps saw on their historic journey.

At the heart of this landmark collection of essays rests a single question: what impact, good or bad, immediate or long-range, did lewis and clark’s journey have on the indians whose homelands they traversed? the nine writers in this volume each provide their own unique answers; from pulitzer prize-winner n. scott momaday, who offers a haunting essay evoking the voices of the past; to debra magpie earling’s illumination of her ancestral family, their survival, and the magic they use to this day; to mark n. trahant’s attempt to trace his own blood back to clark himself; and roberta conner’s comparisons of the explorer’s journals with the accounts of the expedition passed down to her. incisive and compelling, these essays shed new light on our understanding of this landmark journey into the american west.

Two centuries ago, an american epic unfolded as lewis and clark's corps of discovery mapped the lands, described the natural wonders, and encountered the peoples of western north america. following orders from president thomas jefferson, captains meriwether lewis and william clark set out from st. louis in 1804 to search for a river passage to the pacific ocean. the heroism of the men of the corps of discovery and of sacagawea, the shoshone interpreter who became an essential member of the party, makes the expedition a quintessential american adventure. in their own words, recorded in the famous journals of lewis and clark, the members of the corps of discovery tell their story with an immediacy and power missing from secondhand accounts. all of their triumphs and terrors are here-the thrill of seeing the vast herds of bison on the plains, the tensions and admiration in the first meetings with indian peoples, lewis's rapture at the stunning beauty of the great falls, the fear the captains felt when a devastating illness befell sacagawea, the ordeal of crossing the continental divide, clark's joy at seeing the pacific, miserable days of cold and hunger, and the kidnapping and rescue of lewis's dog, seaman. the natural wonders of an unspoiled america are captured in these pages. the lives and customs of its native peoples also vividly come to life: lewis and clark's friendship with the mandans and the nez perces, a deadly fight with the blackfeet, and a series of intricate interactions and negotiations with numerous northwestern tribes. the cultural differences between the corps and the indians make for living drama that at times provokes laughter but more often is poignant and, at least once, tragic. in this riveting account, editor gary e. for the first time the voices of the enlisted men and of the native americans are heard alongside the words of the captains. new maps and illustrations enrich this american epic of discovery.

Two centuries ago, an american epic unfolded as lewis and clark's corps of discovery mapped the lands, described the natural wonders, and encountered the peoples of western north america. following orders from president thomas jefferson, captains meriwether lewis and william clark set out from st. louis in 1804 to search for a river passage to the pacific ocean. the heroism of the men of the corps of discovery and of sacagawea, the shoshone interpreter who became an essential member of the party, makes the expedition a quintessential american adventure. in their own words, recorded in the famous journals of lewis and clark, the members of the corps of discovery tell their story with an immediacy and power missing from secondhand accounts. all of their triumphs and terrors are here-the thrill of seeing the vast herds of bison on the plains, the tensions and admiration in the first meetings with indian peoples, lewis's rapture at the stunning beauty of the great falls, the fear the captains felt when a devastating illness befell sacagawea, the ordeal of crossing the continental divide, clark's joy at seeing the pacific, miserable days of cold and hunger, and the kidnapping and rescue of lewis's dog, seaman. the natural wonders of an unspoiled america are captured in these pages. the lives and customs of its native peoples also vividly come to life: lewis and clark's friendship with the mandans and the nez perces, a deadly fight with the blackfeet, and a series of intricate interactions and negotiations with numerous northwestern tribes. the cultural differences between the corps and the indians make for living drama that at times provokes laughter but more often is poignant and, at least once, tragic. in this riveting account, editor gary e. for the first time the voices of the enlisted men and of the native americans are heard alongside the words of the captains. new maps and illustrations enrich this american epic of discovery.

Captains mariwether lewis and william clark are perhaps two of the most famous explorers in u.s. history. their journey with the corps of discovery was an epic undertaking, filled with adventure, danger, and triumph. many students, however, just see it as another page in their history book. lewis & clark hands on will forever change this perspective. join accomplished art teacher sharon jeffus as she leads you and your child through the pages of history and this exciting expedition. features include: hands on activities from making a quill pen to using clay creative writing topics profiles of american artists actual excerpts from the journals of the expedition your child will walk away from this book with more than a knowledge of lewis and clark. they will also have learned a variety of practical art techniques and drawing skills including: drawing portraits shading and proportion one- and two-point perspective using the color wheel contour outline drawing linear and atmospheric perspective monochromatic color schemes step-by-step instructions for tree, landscapes, and over a dozen animals don't miss out on this opportunity to enter the world of lewis & clark hands on! it will be one learning experience your students will not soon forget."

Since the time of columbus, explorers dreamed of a water passage across the north american continent. president thomas jefferson shared this dream. he conceived the corps of discovery to travel up the missouri river to the rocky mountains and westward along possible river routes to the pacific ocean. meriwether lewis and william clark led this expedition of 1804-6. along the way they filled hundreds of notebook pages with observations of the geography, indian tribes, and natural history of the trans-mississippi west.this volume includes lewis's and clark's journals beginning in august 1803, when lewis left pittsburgh to join clark farther down the ohio river. the two men and several recruits camped near the mouth of the missouri river for five months of training, acquiring supplies and equipment, and gathering information from travelers about the trip upriver. they started up the missouri in may 1804. this volume ends in august, when the corps of discovery camped near the vermillion river in present-day south dakota.gary e. moulton is thomas c. sorensen professor of american history at the university of nebraska and recipient of the j. franklin jameson award of the american historical association for the editing of these journals.

Since the time of columbus, explorers dreamed of a water passage across the north american continent. president thomas jefferson shared this dream. he conceived the corps of discovery to travel up the missouri river to the rocky mountains and westward along possible river routes to the pacific ocean. meriwether lewis and william clark led this expedition of 1804-6. along the way they filled hundreds of notebook pages with observations of the geography, indian tribes, and natural history of the trans-mississippi west.after a rainy winter, the corps of discovery turned homeward in march 1806 from fort clatsop on the mouth of the columbia river. detained by winter snows, they camped among the friendly nez perces in modern west-central idaho. lewis and clark attended to sick indians and continued their scientific observations while others in the party hunted and socialized with native peoples.gary e. moulton is thomas c. sorensen professor of american history at the university of nebraska and recipient of the j. franklin jameson award of the american historical association for the editing of these journals.

The companion volume to the pbs film follows the epic odyssey of meriwether lewis and william clark from st. louis to the pacific ocean, documenting the varied spectrum of landscapes, people and cultures, and wildlife that they encountered. tv tie-in. 75,000 first printing. tour.

When the corps of discovery left the vicinity of st. louis in 1804 to explore the american west, they had only sketchy knowledge of the terrain that they were to cross — existing maps often contained large blank spaces and wild inaccuracies. william clark painstakingly mapped every mile of the journey, drawing from both direct observation and from the reports of indians and a few fur traders. on their return lewis and clark directed the execution of new maps detailing with remarkable accuracy the features of the country that they had traversed. promotional information the first properly drawn maps of the west, as a result of the lewis/clark expedition about the author gary e. moulton is thomas c. sorensen professor of american history at the university of nebraska and recipient of the j. franklin jameson award of the american historical association for the editing of these journals.

On september 4, 1805, in the upper bitterroot valley of what is now western montana, more than four hundred salish people were encamped, pasturing horses, preparing for the fall bison hunt, and harvesting chokecherries as they had done for countless generations. as the lewis and clark expedition ventured into the territory of a sovereign native nation, the salish met the strangers with hospitality and vital provisions while receiving comparatively little in return. for the first time, a native american community offers an in-depth examination of the events and historical significance of their encounter with the lewis and clark expedition. the result is a new understanding of the expedition and its place in the wider context of u.s. history. through oral histories and other materials, salish elders recount the details of the salish encounter with lewis and clark: their difficulty communicating with the strangers through multiple interpreters and consequent misunderstanding of the expedition’s invasionary purpose, their discussions about whether to welcome or wipe out the newcomers, their puzzlement over the black skin of the slave york, and their decision to extend traditional tribal hospitality and gifts to the guests. what makes the salish people and the lewis and clark expedition a startling departure from previous accounts of the lewis and clark expedition is how it depicts the arrival of non-indians—not as the beginning of history but as another chapter in a long tribal history. much of this book focuses on the ancient cultural landscape and history that had already shaped the region for millennia before the arrival of lewis and clark. the elders begin their vivid portrait of the salish world by sharing creation stories and their traditional cycle of life. the book then takes readers on a cultural tour of the native trails that the expedition followed. the salish people and the lewis and clark expedition also portrays with new clarity the profound upheaval of the native world in the century before the expedition's arrival, as tribes in the region were introduced to horses, european diseases, and firearms. the arrival of lewis and clark marked the beginning of a heightened level of conflict and loss, and the book details the history that followed the expedition: the opening of salish territory to the fur trade; the arrival of jesuit missionaries; the establishment of indian reservations, the non-indian development of western montana; and, more recently, the revival and strengthening of tribal sovereignty and culture. conveyed by tribal recollections and richly illustrated, the salish people and the lewis and clark expedition not only sheds new light on the meaning of the expedition; it also illuminates the people who greeted lewis and clark and, despite much of what followed, thrive in their homeland today.

Since the time of columbus, explorers dreamed of a water passage across the north american continent. president thomas jefferson shared this dream. he conceived the corps of discovery to travel up the missouri river to the rocky mountains and westward along possible river routes to the pacific ocean. meriwether lewis and william clark led this expedition of 1804–6. along the way they filled hundreds of notebook pages with observations of the geography, indian tribes, and natural history of the trans-mississippi west.this set of the celebrated nebraska edition features the seven core volumes—those written by lewis and clark—and incorporates a wide range of new scholarship dealing with all aspects of the expedition, including geography, indian languages, plants, and animals, in order to recreate the expedition within its historical context.

William rheem lighton (1866-1923), was an american author, editor, journalist and lawyer. he wrote a few novels, romances of rural life, westerns, and historical pieces. many of his stories depicted "billy fortune, " a character based on his wife's cousin, a wyoming homesteader. he and his wife built a farm in arkansas which they named happy hollow farm. in 1910 he wrote an article the story of an arkansas farm which was published in the saturday evening post. due to it's popularity it was later expanded into a book, happy hollow farm (1914). he edited back to the land magazine between 1910 and 1911. his other works include: sons of strength: kansas (1899), lewis and clark (1901), the ultimate moment (1903) and uncle mac's nebrasky (1904).

On april 30, 1803, the louisiana purchase agreement between france and the united states was formally signed. president thomas jefferson paid the french emperor napoleon bonaparte approximately 18 cents per square mile for a vast wilderness territory (more than 825,000 square miles) stretching from new orleans to the canadian border and west from the mississippi river to the rocky mountains. the purchase effectively doubled the size of the young united states.on may 14, 1804, captains meriwether lewis and william clark — accompanied by an intrepid band of skilled hunters, carpenters, gunsmiths, and blacksmiths — sailed up the missouri river with a small fleet of three vessels. for the next two years, this dauntless team navigated insect- and snake-infested waterways, crossed scorching plains, scaled frigid mountain passes, battled hostile indians, and faced near-starvation–all the while charting a vast wilderness never before glimpsed by white men.by the time of their return to civilization in september of 1806, lewis and clark had brought back a large collection of important scientific information, opened the unknown east to american exploration and settlement, and added credibility to the u.s. claim to the oregon territory. distinguished artist peter f. copeland recaptures the high points of this mighty expedition. forty-five historically accurate, precisely drawn illustrations for coloring retrace the nearly 8,000 miles of the perilous trek. captions identify the action in each plate, provide background information, and link the plates in a continuous and informative narrative.

"join best-selling author and historian stephen ambrose as he and his family journey in the footsteps of lewis & clark. eight chapters weave ambrose's rich narrative with choice entries from the explorers' journals, with the author's own story of how his family discovered the trail today, changed by time but timeless in its inspiration.