Jefferson and the Wild West

Portrait of Thomas Jefferson in 1805

 The third president of the United States (elected in 1800), more than doubled the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Jefferson ordered exploration of the area and  Lewis and Clark were asked to lead an expedition to explore the Missouri River, and to study the region's native tribes (including their morals, language, and culture), weather, soil, rivers, commercial trading, animal and plant life. Source Josephy (1965), p.77