Meriwether Lewis - A Life Cut Short
Primary American Explorer of the Louisiana Purchase
Jul 30, 2009
Meriwether Lewis received wilderness training during his young, adult life. He was also the boyhood neighbor of Thomas Jefferson who would become a U.S. president. Lewis' family's 1,000 acre plantation was situated near the Jefferson plantation (Monticello). After Jefferson became president of the U.S., he appointed Lewis as his personal secretary and then, to lead an expedition, across the known western states of the Union to the Pacific Ocean.
Lewis' Military Career
At the age of 20 (1790), Lewis began his military career. His experiences in the wilderness fighting the British and the Indians prepared him for the assignment he was later to be appointed to by President Thomas Jefferson. It was during his military years that he became acquainted with William Clark who assisted in co-leading the expedition the pair are famous for. These men became fast friends.
Lewis held a couple of positions within the military - captain and paymaster of the First Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army. President Jefferson desired the expertise of this young man's military experience to create a rapport with the Indians of the western United States and to bring the trading of valuable pelts to the trade routes of the eastern United States.
Early Family Life
Meriwether was the second sibling born to Lucy (herbal healer) and John Lewis. After his father died, Meriwether's mother remarried. However, his step-father died when the boy turned 18.
Meriwether attended local schools, some of which were taught by the local clergy. After the death of his step-father, Meriwether shouldered the responsibility of managing the affairs of his parents' plantation. His expertise of plant and animal life became an asset during the upcoming expedition.
President Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase
President Jefferson had been contemplating exploring the west beyond the Missouri River. Napoleon Bonaparte presented an opportunity too tempting to refuse. Persuaded to release U.S. land, Bonaparte sold the Louisiana Purchase to America and the path to exploration was laid tout de suite.
Exploring the Western Frontier
President Jefferson assigned Meriwether to lead the expedition across the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether desired to share the leadership responsibilities and requested that William Clark be asked to co-lead. President Jefferson agreed to the request.
Some of the supplies Meriwether Lewis purchased for the expedition included:
- "Gifts for the Indian people;
- "Pigtail tobacco; and,
- "Wine and kegs."
The summer months of 1803 marked the start of the expedition which ended a little over two years later. Lewis was a hardy explorer often enduring great risks/harm for the quest of knowledge:
- He fell down a cliff, stopping the fall with his knife;
- Accidentally poisoned himself while tasting ore; and,
- Was accidentally shot in the thigh by a member of the exploration party (Pbs.org).
An Early Demise
Despite the fame, fanfare and remuneration by the President at the completion of the expedition, the life of this famed explorer was ended in 1809. He was known to plunge into depression or melancholy from time to time as well as imbibe himself generously with alcohol. Though it was determined that he committed suicide, there is controversy regarding the cause of death. He was 35 years old.
"Thomas Jefferson, who held life-long affection for his protege, is credited with the Latin inscription on Lewis' tombstone: Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! Viva tuos. (I died young: but thou, O Good Republic, live out my years for me with better fortune.)"
Though he died an untimely death, the contributions he delivered to the settling and expansion of the U.S.A. cannot be underestimated.
Sources
Lucidcafe.com/library/95aug/lewis.html
Mcmanweb.com/lewis_suicide.html
 |
