Lewis and Clark Expedition
After purchasing the land, Jefferson sought the approval of Congress for an expedition of the land. Jefferson appointed his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead the expedition, and Lewis selected William Clark as his assistant. Their survey of the territory would become known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
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The expedition began in the spring of 1804 and lasted for two years. The purpose of the expedition was to survey this unknown territory that had previously been under French control. Additionally, Zebulon Pike explored into the Rocky Mountains and then south into Spanish-held territory between 1806 and 1807.
In 1805, Jay’s Treaty, the agreement between the United States and Great Britain that had been in place since 1795, in which the British agreed to withdraw from forts in the Northwest Territory and improve trade relations, would expire. This only added to the growing strife between European nations.