The Lewis and Clark Expedition Map of North America, 1802

In the winter of 1804-1805, Lewis and Clark had set up camp among the Mandan tribe in what is now North Dakota. As signs of spring appeared they looked forward to continuing west. Meriwether Lewis commented in his diary that April 6, 1805, "We were now about to penetrate a country at least two thousand miles in width, on which the foot of civilized man had never trodden. . . . Those little vessels contained every article by which we were to expect to subsist or defend ourselves." At that time, the great northwest quadrant of the United States was unexplored by white men. It appeared on the best maps of the day as a giant blank. One of William Clark’s greatest contributions was that he mapped this blank space. On February 14, 1806, at Fort Clatsop he wrote, "I completed a map of the Countrey through which we have been passing from the Mississippi at the Mouth of the Missouri to this place." The historian Stephen Ambrose notes:

It was a masterpiece of the cartographer’s art and an invaluable contribution to knowledge. . . . His map became a bit sketchier as he moved west, naturally, because his depictions of the various tributaries were based on hearsay. . . . Lewis explained Clark’s method: he would compare one Indian’s description with another’s, questioning them separately and at different times. . . . Only when there was agreement on placement, distance, mountain passes, and so forth was the information put on Clark’s map and into Lewis’s report.1



William Clark's Map, American Philosophical Society

please click above image for larger view

Activity:

Examine the pre-Lewis and Clark map and compare it to William Clark's map. Discuss with your classmates what physical features you recognize on Clark’s map that are very familiar places today, for example, the Rocky Mountains. How accurate does the map seem compared to a modern one? After the discussion, complete one of these map activities:

1. Try your hand at mapmaking. Using a modern map of the United States as your guide, draw your own version, showing only physical features such as mountains, rivers, and streams. To add interest, make your map as similar in tone as possible to the Lewis and Clark one featured on this website. Display your map in the classroom, and share with your classmates what you learned from the experience. How difficult was it to get an accurate representation of the physical features simply by copying? How hard would it have been to accomplish this task using longitude and latitude measurements, and notes taken hurriedly on a busy day? Consider the hardship of drawing the maps in the evening by candlelight or campfire. Discuss with your classmates whether this small exercise gave you a better sense of what an accomplishment Clark’s map was.

The route of the Corps of Discovery Outbound route in red, inbound in blue

2. Using an outline map, trace the Lewis and Clark Expedition from its starting point on the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean and back. List all of the states that were carved out of territory traveled by Lewis and Clark. Ask another classmate to use a similar outline map, and trace the interstate highways that would take a traveler west from St. Louis, following a route closest to the one followed by Lewis and Clark. Working together, calculate the distance, number of travel days needed, and fuel costs of making the trip today. Share your findings with your class.

As a follow-up exercise, plan a trip along this route, listing interesting stops along the way. Check with your local tourist office and the Lewis and Clark website to get information about the trip. Use the itinerary as a means of generalizing about the positive and negative effects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

3. Working with another classmate, use an outline map of the United States to complete two tasks. On the first map, show the United States as it looked shortly after the Louisiana Purchase. On the second map, through color and labeling, show from whom and in what year the United States acquired all of the other land that now constitutes the fifty United States. Look in your textbook or an encyclopedia to find out the circumstance of these land transfers. Report your findings to the class by responding to these statements:

The United States acquired the Louisiana Territory in part because France was experiencing difficulties with its colonies and with Britain. On other occasions since then, the United States has acquired land as a result of another country’s political, social, or military difficulties.

Despite constitutional questions, President Thomas Jefferson supported the purchase of Louisiana from the French. Since that time there have been other occasions when the United States acquired land through purchase.

Space Age Mapping

The Lewis and Clark Expedition contributed greatly to the knowledge Americans had about the country to the west of the Mississippi, especially the U. S. Northwest. By the time the first astronaut went into space, the earth had been very well mapped. However, the space program has contributed enormously to geographic knowledge. To understand this better, complete the following activities:

1. Go to the library and get books that show photographs taken from orbiting satellites or from space missions. Bring them to class, and show some of the most dramatic photographs to your classmates. Invite them to point out readily identifiable features clearly visible on the photographs such as the Florida Peninsula, the Texas Panhandle, or the Rocky Mountains. Ask them if they can see ways scientists can use these images to learn more than previous cartographers about how the earth looks.

Cape Cod from space

2. Find out how the satellites and the space shuttle program continue to increase human knowledge not only of the geographical features of the United States, but of the world as well. For example, on February 11, 2000, the space shuttle Endeavor launched a mission to use radar to map the earth’s surface in 3-D. Check the NASA website to discover specific missions that have the goal of increasing knowledge of geography, meteorology, or astrology. Bring at least one of these articles to share with your classmates.

Using the information gathered from these articles, list practical applications of the space program. Keep the list in a prominent place in the classroom, and add other articles and items for the list as you find them

3. Call your local television station and ask to interview the meteorologist about the extent to which orbiting satellites make it easier to track weather systems. Ask him or her in what ways such information makes the life of an ordinary person safer or more enjoyable. If possible, ask the meteorologist to speak to your class about such applications. Add any new information to your class list.