Exploration of the West
Finding a Water Route
Even before he became president, Jefferson supported the exploration of the West. He had long dreamed of sending pioneers across the continent. At the time, the vast interior of the American continent was still very much uncharted. After all, the majority of the population in America in the early 1800s lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic Ocean.
In fact, before America acquired Louisiana, President Jefferson confidentially asked Congress to fund an expedition to the Pacific Ocean with the goal of finding a water route to get there and establishing trade with Native Americans. Jefferson was a curious and avid learner who also wanted to gain more knowledge about the West, the people, animals, and plants who lived there.
On February 28, 1803, Congress agreed to fund the expedition and with the purchase of the territory from France, Jefferson was presented with an enormous and important opportunity for exploration and discovery of these unknown lands.
Reflection
President Jefferson was curious about everything. He was an inventor and scientist. He experimented with plants, and invented the dumbwaiter, a wheel cipher to make and reveal coded messages, and a pasta maker. He loved to learn, but he didn’t know much about the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. He wanted to know everything about this new land!
What would you want to know? If you were going to settle there what would need to know?
