Lewis and Clark's Historical Impact

Sacajawea Lewis Clark
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Sacajawea interprets Lewis and Clark's intentions to the Chinook Indians.

Obviously, it could be contentious to say that Lewis and Clark's team actually discovered anything, because the Indians had been familiar with the flora and fauna of the West for centuries. But Lewis and Clark did bring a vast array of plants and animals to the attention of Americans in the East. The party was able to document more than 125 varieties of animals and 178 animal species that inhabited the newly acquired land [source: National Geographic]. Some of the plants proved quite useful to the often hungry travelers. In addition to new varieties of trees, grasses and flowers, they also documented new types of tobacco, herbs like hemlock and tarragon, and the blue huckleberry, California hazelnut and Cascade grape.

Lewis and Clark weren't the first to make the North American transcontinental voyage -- Indians had most likely been doing that sort of thing for centuries. And they had also been beaten to the punch by a Canadian expedition led by Alexander Mackenzie, which completed the trip in 1793.

But the Corps of Discovery was the first American group to undertake the journey, and its impact can't be underestimated. The expedition introduced Americans and Europeans to hundreds of varieties of plants and animals, met with dozens of native tribes and produced an accurately mapped route to the Pacific Ocean -- and returned home safely. The group came to embody the values of manifest destiny, prodding other adventurers­ to embark on their own journeys of discovery and exploration.

The expedition opened up new territory for the fur and lumber trade and pointed out the best lands for future settlement and agriculture. It allowed a young country to blossom into greatness, because more land had equated to more resources and therefore, more power. The influence of the expedition is incalculable. For better or worse, there is no doubt that the expedition of Lewis and Clark forever changed the course of the country's history.

To learn more about the Lewis and Clark expedition, take a look at the links on the next page.