Western Expansion: Lewis and Clark

As chapter 7 begins we get a feel for what the atmosphere around the White House was like on Independence Day, 1803.  Troops assembled to perform patriotic songs as the unfinished White House transformed into a “bustling, colorful and noisy fairground in which the teeming, well-dressed crowds jostled for space with cows and livestock.” This same day the Louisiana Purchase was made and the interest in an expedition led by Lewis increased. This expedition was to be funded and led by Jefferson, as he wanted to distinguish his presidency from others with a discovery.

What was interesting to me is that Wulf states how Jefferson essentially had to lie about why he was sending Lewis and Clark on this expedition to gain approval from Congress to finance it. They said it was in the name of commerce but it was really for “Science” yet in a way it was almost an expedition to appreciate and discover the vast beauty that was seen in large landscapes and forests in the West. Not only does Jefferson tell Lewis that his secretary may be allowed to draw money and supplies on “behalf of the United States from anybody across the world," he is essentially placing all his eggs in one basket, with a man who is not fully knowledgeable on the subject of botany. He did this because Lewis was “adapted to the woods,” knowledgeable in the three kingdoms: plants, animals and minerals. Jefferson, showing his adornment for botany, placed Lewis under the study of the professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania to teach him the intricacies of taxonomy and botanical descriptions. It was here that Lewis also learned to “collect, dry, mount and label plant specimens, and how to best preserve seeds.”

The reason Jefferson spent so much time and money preparing Lewis for this expedition was because he wanted him to be an expert on relaying agricultural information to the president.  One of Jefferson’s main objectives was the finding of new crops to feed the American people. “He would discover giant animals and trees that symbolize the country’s dominance and power.” This quote displays how land and vast crops symbolized power. Jefferson wished for Lewis to discover new territory and plant life but he wanted him to send the artifacts and plant life to Jefferson for further study in the hopes that one day he could send him a sample of every type of specimen. Jefferson placed so much trust in Lewis it almost amazed me upon first glance.

Lewis was lucky enough to see Jefferson’s enthusiasm for plants firsthand and in way his love for botany rubbed off on Lewis. Letters regarding botany would arrive to the White House amongst the political mail. Lewis would collect roots against snakebites, he discovered a serviceberry that was superior in “flavor and size” to the yellow currant. On his expedition he learned about the medical uses for plants but stopped to make time for their aesthetic value. In the West, Lewis and Clark were able to report that there was a “wide expance” and “lofty and open forests.” Lewis felt it to be “the most beautifully picturesque countries that I ever beheld.”