Lewis and Clark Persuasive Essay
Expedition that started in May, 1804, was an important milestone in the American history. It was headed by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis and commissioned by President Jefferson. Among the goals they pursued there were commercial and scientific – they aimed at discovery of the animal life and plant diversity, as well as wanted to see the geographical peculiarities of this territory, as it had not been explored before them. Among the other goals there were finding of the water communication for commerce with Asian countries and declaration of US sovereignty over indigenous tribes residing on the continent.
The results of the expedition showed a lot of valuable information. First of all, there were drawn the first maps of the explored region – about 140 of them. Besides, a lot of new plant and animal species were discovered and the place itself was officially described for the first time in the history. The US sovereignty and military strength was demonstrated to the native tribes, which ensured their subordination to the country. Still, there was one important goal failed – the expedition didn’t find the path suitable for commerce establishing with Asia.
On the whole, there were 33 people involved in the expedition, and among them there was Sacagawea – Lemhi Shoshone woman, who was a guide and interpreter for all the other people. The woman played a significant role in the expedition and managed to settle the conflicts arising in its course. The National American Woman Suffrage Association chose her image as a symbol of women’s independence and worth and opened several monuments in her honor. In 2000 there was issued a memorable coin with Sacagawea and her son depicted in it.