On March 4, 1801, a tall, redheaded Virginian named Thomas Jefferson was sworn in as our third president. The United States of America was very young.
And it was tiny, especially compared to its present size. Americans knew there was a lot of land west of the Mississippi River. They knew Indians lived there. At that time, Native Americans were called Indians. And some white trappers had gone there. But no one had any real idea what was out there. Jefferson wanted to find out. But he knew he needed someone special to help. He found that someone in Meriwether Lewis.
When Jefferson became president, he made Lewis his secretary. After the day’s government work was done, the two men studied maps and explorers’ journals. They shared dreams of discovery. Jefferson was curious about the West. He was also ambitious. He wanted to make the United States a great empire: huge, powerful, rich, and free. Jefferson’s curiosity and interest were great. But he never made it west of the Mississippi. Even so, he set up his young friend, Meriwether Lewis, to take the trip of a lifetime.
