In early 1803, President Thomas Jefferson convinced Congress to fund exploration of a possible trade route up the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains, and down the Columbia River system to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson selected his assistant Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition. Joined by William Clark, they spent the winter of 1803-04 near St. Louis to recruit their team and acquire tons of supplies and trade goods.

On May 14, 1804. the group of 43 men began their laborious journey upstream along the Missouri River. A full day’s exertion might yield 14 miles. Ascending the Missouri, meetings with the Native Americans ranged from cordial to near-violent. The death of an expedition member provided a powerful reminder of the journey’s risks.

Into the Missouri River’s far northern regions, they built a fort to winter near the village of the friendly Mandan Indians in what today is North Dakota.

Upon their spring departure, they sent part of the group back to St. Louis with the keelboat and proceeded with only 33 individuals. The group struggled upstream, battled grizzly bears, portaged around massive waterfalls, and finally reached the Missouri’s headwaters. They acquired horses from the Shoshone Indians and barely survived crossing the snow-covered Rocky Mountains.

Finally – starving and stumbling down the western slope of the mountains – they were welcomed and assisted by Nez Perce Indians. They crafted new canoes and battled their way downriver through the rapids and falls of today’s Clearwater River, Snake River, and Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. There, they endured a rainy and cold 1805-06 winter camp near the mouth of the Columbia River.

Their return trip and adventures after the journey are so dramatic and fascinating that I dedicated a second full installment in our History Highlights series. Their return journey finally carried them back over the Rocky Mountains where they divided into three different groups to explore even more territory. Those separate endeavors produced even more diverse adventures, including the only violent encounter with Native Americans and another tragedy as Lewis was shot and badly wounded in a hunting accident. Finally reunited, the expedition returned to St. Louis on September 23 of 1806. They had been gone two years, four months and ten days.

Their story is awe-inspiring. Unbelievable physical exertion, the potential accidents, the dangerous rivers, weather, animals, sickness, disease, and potential violence with the Native Americans. The expedition was well-supplied, staffed with talented members, and guided by amazing leaders. But all along their journey, the group also received significant assistance from the Native Americans.

Join me to explore the most dramatic and significant highlights of this incredible adventure. My HistoryHighlights.com series offers multiple books and presentations covering their western journey to the Pacific, their fascinating return journey, and their remarkable lives after the expedition.