As published in Moneysaver Lewis Clark and Palouse Editions
October 12th, 2006
Legacy
In the 200 years since the Corps of Discovery’s expedition, the Louisiana Territory has been re-discovered time and time again. The first ones to venture in were more explorers filling in the gaps in the expedition maps, and fur traders looking to do business with the Indian population. Those groups, however, were quickly followed by white settlers--people whose purpose was not to explore, but to make a home for themselves in this new, unclaimed territory. Slowly but surely, the United States filtered westward to fill the space that Jefferson had bought from Napoleon.
And yet, despite the wealth of stories and information that Lewis and Clark had brought back from their voyage, few people stopped to remember the Corps of Discovery. The scientific information the Corps brought back was only noted by a handful of scholars; the published journals sold poorly; even the landmarks along the way were frequently renamed by settlers. As time went on, people found quicker and easier routes across the continent, and the route taken by Lewis and Clark was barely remembered, except as a historical footnote.
So what is the legacy of the Corps of Discovery? Simply this: they proved that it could be done. They showed that the fabled Northwest Passage did exist, although it was difficult to navigate. They made it to the Pacific Ocean and back, even though most people thought they were long dead. This achievement gave others the courage needed to journey into the Louisiana Territory for commerce, exploration, or simply to claim a piece of land. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark revealed the west to the people of the United States, and even if their names are forgotten, the American West remains as a testament to their achievement.
This article marks the end of “This Week With Lewis and Clark.”
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