Meriwether Lewis
In 1803, when the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France (for a scant $15 million), it doubled the size of the young country. Stretching north from New Orleans to the Canadian border and westward from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, the area contained over 800,000 square miles. That same year, President Thomas Jefferson designated two young men -- Meriweather Lewis and William Clark -- as leaders of an expedition to explore this vast new acquisition, as well as other lands of the West. In the spring of 1804, the two men and an intrepid band of hunters, carpenters, gunsmiths, and blacksmiths, known as the "Corps of Discovery," embarked on a perilous journey that would truly give meaning to the term "Wild West."In this exciting, action-packed young reader's edition, based on the author's acclaimed earlier study of the two great American explorers, historian John Bakeless chronicles the daily challenges these men faced -- from encounters with indigenous people, snake-infested waterways, prairie fires, floods, heat, and thirst, to illness, famine, and frigid mountain passes.The result is a saga of epic proportions, an amazing story of courage and determination sure to delight readers with its authenticity and vivid, dramatic style. It's a "thrilling account of one of the most magnificent expeditions in all history . . . absorbing and inspirational from start to finish." -- New York Times Book Review. Publisher: Dover Publications. Paperback, 186 Pages. Measures 7.8"x4.8"x0.4" . Weighs 7.3 oz.
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. Publisher: Dover Publications. Paperback, 45 pages. Measures 8.25" x 10.8". Weighs 6.2 oz.
Collector's edition Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery 1803-1806 lapel pin. Pin measures 0.875" x 0.875". Weighs 0.2 oz.
Following Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's Corps of Discovery as they navigate the muddy Missouri River and begin a great adventure, this activity book is set against the background of the vast North American continent. It takes children from President Jefferson's vision of an exploratory mission across a continent full of unique plants and animals through their dangerous and challenging journey into the unknown to the expedition's triumphant return to the frontier town of St. Louis. Twenty-one activities bring to life the Native American tribes they encountered, the plants and animals they discovered, and the camping and navigating techniques they used. A glossary of terms and listings of Lewis and Clark sites, museums, and related websites round out this comprehensive activity book. Publisher: Chicago Review Press. Paperback, 143 pages. Measures 11" x 8.5" x0.3". Weighs 1 lb 5.6 oz.
Following orders from President Thomas Jefferson, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out from their wintering camp in Illinois in 1804 to search for a river passage to the Pacific Ocean. In this riveting account, editor Gary E. Moulton blends the narrative highlights of the Lewis and Clark journals so that the voices of the enlisted men and of Native peoples are heard alongside the words of the captains. All 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 their Shoshone interpreter, Sacagawea; the ordeal of crossing the Continental Divide; the kidnapping and rescuing of Lewis's dog, Seaman; miserable days of cold and hunger; and Clark's joy at seeing the Pacific. The cultural differences between the corps and Native Americans make for living drama that at times provokes laughter but more often is poignant and, at least once, tragic.
Collector's edition Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery 1803-1806. Pin measures 0.895" x 0.895". Weighs 0.2 oz.
Thomas Jefferson's Corps of Discovery included Captains Lewis and Clark and a crew of 28 men to chart a route from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. All the crew but one volunteered for the mission. York, the enslaved man taken on the journey, did not choose to go. Slaves did not have choices. York's contributions to the expedition, however, were invaluable. The captains came to rely on York's judgement, determination, and peacemaking role with the American Indian nations they encountered. But as York's independence and status rose on the journey, the question remained what status he would carry once the expedition was over. This is his story. Publisher: Capstone Editions. Paperback, 37 pages. Measures 8.75" x 11"x0.2". Weighs 6.2 oz.
When Meriwether Lewis began shopping for supplies and firearms to take on the Corps of Discovery's journey west, his first stop was a federal arsenal. For the following twenty-nine months, from the time the Lewis and Clark expedition left Camp Dubois with a cannon salute in 1804 until it announced its return from the West Coast to St. Louis with a volley in 1806, weapons were a crucial component of the participants' tool kit. In Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, historian Jim Garry describes the arms and ammunition the expedition carried and the use and care those weapons received. The Corps of Discovery's purposes were to explore the Missouri and Columbia river basins, to make scientific observations, and to contact the tribes along the way for both science and diplomacy. Throughout the trek, the travelers used their guns to procure food--they could consume around 350 pounds of meat a day--and to protect themselves from dangerous animals. Firearms were also invaluable in encounters with Indian groups, as guns were one of the most sought-after trade items in the West. As Garry notes, the explorers' willingness to demonstrate their weapons' firepower probably kept meetings with some tribes from becoming violent. The mix of arms carried by the expedition extended beyond rifles and muskets to include pistols, knives, espontoons, a cannon, and blunderbusses. Each chapter focuses on one of the major types of weapons and weaves accounts from the expedition journals with the author's knowledge gained from field-testing the muskets and rifles he describes. Appendices tally the weapons carried and explain how the expedition's flintlocks worked. Weapons of the Lewis and Clark Expedition integrates original research with a lively narrative. This encyclopedic reference will be invaluable to historians and weaponry aficionados. Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press. Paperback, 208 Pages. Measures 9"x6"x0.3" . Weighs 10.2 oz.
You just tried out for the school play. And who wants the lead part more than anyone? YOU! Imagine setting off to sail crystal-clear rivers all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Going bird-watching. Sleeping beneath the stars. But be careful what you wish for. That might not be the way it was for a private on the Lewis and Clark expedition ... Publisher: Picture Window Books. Paperback, 32 pages. Measures 8" x 10" x 0.1". Weighs 4.2 oz.