Western Expansion caught in the Ideological Divide

     Throughout Andrea Wulf's book, Founding Gardeners, readers are constantly reminded of the clash of ideas between our founders surrounding the construction of our nation. The expedition of Lewis and Clark was no different.

     From the moment President Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana the Federalists disagreed. The Federalists thought that more industrialized, conduced cities would be better for the country. Federalists largely believed it would help the government govern over its people better and would encourage more growth, but Republicans thought differently. 

     Republicans believed that more land was crucial to the growth of our nation and that expansion was vital to the agrarian economy that was present. Jefferson was also very passionate about controlling future quick waves of change. He even said, "the less will it be shaken by local passions." 

     In order for Jefferson to get Congressional approval, because of the Republican majority, he had to give a pretty easy sell. Rather or not the Federalists approved the expedition would go as planned, but Jefferson still had to spin the story, if you will. While most of the world thought it an expedition of commerce, it was never meant to be that. 

     From bones to berries, Lewis, Clark, and their entire party sent back groundbreaking pieces of nature. Their journey was exponentially important to the fast-paced maturity of this nation, as history would show us.