LEWIS, MERIWETHER

born Aug. 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Va. died Oct. 11, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn., U.S. U.S. explorer who with William Clark led the first overland expedition to the Pacific Northwest (180406). As a boy, Lewis developed a love of the wilderness and became an expert hunter. After serving in the militia during the Whiskey Rebellion (1794) in western Pennsylvania, he transferred into the regular army. In 1801 Lewis became private secretary to Pres. Thomas Jefferson, who for the next two years unofficially prepared Lewis for leadership of a transcontinental exploring expedition. At Lewis' request, another Virginian, Lieut. William Clark, was appointed to share the command with him. Upon the U.S. purchase of the Louisiana Territory (1803), Congress appropriated $2,500 for its exploration. To round out his background before leaving, Lewis went to Philadelphia to study botany, zoology, and celestial navigation. The three-year expedition, from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, succeeded not only because of the party's skills but also because its two leaders worked together in such close harmony. Following Jefferson's instructions, Lewis and his colleagues kept a detailed journal of the trip, thus contributing a priceless narrative of North American exploration. These diaries helped dispel ignorance about the region and did much to open the way for westward expansion. Along with Clark, Lewis received 1,600 acres of public land as a reward. On his resignation from the army he was named governor of Louisiana Territory in 1808. He died under mysterious circumstances in an inn on the Natchez Trace while en route to Washington. Whether his death resulted from murder or suicide is still a subject of controversy. See also Lewis and Clark Expedition. Additional reading A reliable biography is Richard Dillon, Meriwether Lewis (1965, reprinted 1988).