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August 18, 1774, Ivy, Virginia: Lucy and Lt. William Lewis had Meriwether Lewis. In this report, you will be hearing about Meriwether Lewis’ childhood, life, preparation, a great expedition that he went on, his friends, and the last years of his life. I guess you’re wondering what’s happening. Let me tell you.
Meriwether Lewis had an adventurous childhood. He was named by Lucy, his mother, because her maiden name was Meriwether. He also had one brother, Reuben, and two sisters, Jane and Lucinda. When Meriwether was growing up, he loved to hunt and gather herbs and plants for his mother’s homemade medicine. Meriwether loved to explore the outdoors. Because of a death, he lived with several different families. Lt. William Lewis died from pneumonia when Meriwether was five years old. His mother was remarried to Captain John Marks, and she later had John and Mary, Meriwether’s half-siblings. Then the family moved to Georgia. Meriwether’s childhood helped him prepare for his life soon to come.
Later in his life, Meriwether became a secretary for President Thomas Jefferson, a family friend. This is somewhat amusing because Meriwether was an awful speller. In 1803, President Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to be the leader of an expedition through the West. Meriwether was selected for this position because he was a very skilled person. He loved to write and explore. He had learned how to be a doctor. He also loved nature. President Jefferson told Meriwether to find a helper. Secretly, he chose a friend to co-lead the expedition. It took a long time to plan and prepare.
In order to prepare, Meriwether Lewis had to go through a lot of science classes before he left. He went to classes with Dr. Benjamin Rush to learn more about zoology and how to care for the body in extreme conditions. After a lot of hard work, he finally was prepared to go on this hazardous adventure.
Meriwether didn’t go on this adventure alone. He was with William Clark. He also had Clark’s strong black slave named York. When Meriwether left with William, their task was to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean. A few days into the expedition, Meriwether found a flower. He was so intrigued by the flower that he almost lost his life by falling down a cliff. As he explored, he and his trusty dog, Seaman, found plants and other specimens. They also met new friends.
Midway through the journey, the explorers met 16-year-old Sacajawea (Sa/gag/u/wea) who was an addition to the expedition. She was about to give birth to Jean Baptiste. Sacajewea was married to Toussaint Charbonneau who was a French trader. Toussaint was lazy, so they did not take him. Instead, the expedition took Sacajawea who was very hard working. Sacajewea’s help made the expedition successful which led to a promotion in the last years of his life.
After Meriwether returned from the exploration, he became governor of the Louisiana Purchase in the last years of his life. Shortly after, he unfortunately, started drinking and had to resign his position as governor. Sadly, he died on October 12, 1809. Some people think he committed suicide. Some think he was murdered.
Meriwether Lewis’ childhood, life, preparation, expedition, friends, and last years of his life helped make him famous. His mapping of the western country helped President Jefferson and all who considered moving. Nobody knows for sure what happened to him, but he lived a life that encouraged people to move west.
Bibliography
Blumberg, Rhoda. The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark. Broadway, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1987
Hakim, Joy. A History of United States The New Nation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005
“Lewis, Meriwether”. Britannica Junior Encyclopedia. 9. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. : William Brenton, 1970
https://www.biography.com/people/meriwether-lewis-9381267
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriwether_Lewis