Before leaving on the legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition, Meriwether Lewis was trained and tutored by some of the most accomplished scientists in America.
Jefferson's Dream of Discovery
Thomas Jefferson had long been concerned about the Pacific Northwest. Supposedly he had heard, while serving as an envoy in Paris, that the French intended to explore that part of the world. While the French expedition was purported to be purely scientific, Jefferson, and others, suspected it might lead to colonization on the west coast of North America.As early as 1792 Jefferson expressed interest in having the American Philosophical Society fund an expedition to explore the northwest. The expedition was never launched.
April 1803
Meriwether Lewis travels to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to meet with surveyor Andrew Ellicott, who teaches him to use astronomical instruments to plot positions. During the planned expedition to the west, Lewis will use the sextant and other tools to chart his position.Ellicott was a noted surveyor, and had earlier laid surveyed the boundaries for the District of Columbia. The fact that Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis to study with Ellicott indicates the serious planning Jefferson put into the expedition.
