Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator. He was best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with William Clark. Their mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase, establish trade and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River, and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Country for the United States before European nations. They also collected scientific data, and information on indigenous nations.[1] President Thomas Jefferson appointed him Governor of Upper Louisiana in 1806.[2][3] He died of gunshot wounds in what was an act of suicide.
Meriwether Lewis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 2nd Governor of Louisiana Territory | |
| In office March 3, 1807 – October 11, 1809 | |
| Appointed by | Thomas Jefferson |
| Preceded by | James Wilkinson |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 18, 1774 Ivy, Virginia Colony |
| Died | October 11, 1809 (aged 35) Hohenwald, Tennessee |
| Spouse(s) | none |
| Alma mater | Liberty Hall (Washington and Lee University), 1793 |
| Occupation | explorer, soldier, politician |
| Signature |  |
Meriwether Lewis Media
Lewis's coat of arms: Argent a dragon's head erased Vert holding in the mouth a bloody hand proper
Portrait by Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, 1805
Route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Historical marker, Philadelphia, PA
Meriwether Lewis National Monument located at milepost 385.9 on the Natchez Trace Parkway
Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Paul Allen with a biography of Meriwether Lewis, 1813
"(Meriwether) Lewis in Indian Dress (Shoshone)," published in 1816
Lewis depicted on the 1904–05 commemorative Lewis and Clark Exposition dollar
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References
- ↑ Fritz, Harry W. (2004). The Lewis and Clark Expedition. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 59. ISBN 0-313-31661-9
- ↑ Defender Wilson, Mary Louise; Fenelon, James V. (2004). Voyage of Domination, "Purchase" as Conquest, Sakakawea for Savagery: Distorted Icons from Misrepresentations of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Wicazo Sa Review. University of Minnesota Press. 19 (1): pp. 90–1.
- ↑ Miller, Robert J. (2008). Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and Manifest Destiny. Bison Books. p. 108. ISBN 0803215983
ISBN 978-0803215986
Other websites
- Meriwether Lewis on The History Channel
- Meriwether Lewis Park and Burial Site
- Meriwether Lewis's grave on Find-A-Grave
- Lewis and Clark Archived 2015-01-07 at the Wayback Machine at C-SPAN's American Writers: A Journey Through History
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