President Jefferson assigned them this expedition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_and_Clark_Expedition
why Lewis and Clark went on the expedition?
4 answers
The short answer is President Thomas Jefferson sent them.
The long answer is that Jefferson had just bought the Louisiana Purchase and everyone wanted to send an expedition to find out what we bought and tramp around it before England or Spain or someone decided to claim it. Not only a route across the purchase and to the west coast could be walked and mapped but we would find out what sort of plants, animals, native people and soils existed across most of the country.
The long answer is that Jefferson had just bought the Louisiana Purchase and everyone wanted to send an expedition to find out what we bought and tramp around it before England or Spain or someone decided to claim it. Not only a route across the purchase and to the west coast could be walked and mapped but we would find out what sort of plants, animals, native people and soils existed across most of the country.
Thnx both.
You're welcome.