Thomas Jefferson is famous for desiring the U.S. to expand west in his theory of Manifest Destiny, where the economy would be primarily based on agriculture. Part of that doctrine was Jefferson’s reasoning for the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson contracted two men, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to explore the west. Their goal was to study their environment, plants, animals, and terrain, and to discover ways that it could be economically beneficial.
On this day May 26th, in 1805, Lewis and Clark see the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains is a 3000 mile long mountain range. The Rockies now are climbed by many people looking for thrills.
Along for the ride was a Native American woman, Sacagawea. She was married to a French trader and she was hired for the Lewis and Clark expedition as a sort of tour guide. Unfortunately Lewis and Clark, despite their vast development in exploration and science, they were largely forgotten until the 20th century. Lewis and Clark kept detailed journals of everything they encountered as well as creating maps. Both Lewis and Clark were born in Virginia.