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Interesting US History
A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

 

 
 

 

ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

January 18, 1803

Thomas Jefferson Secretly Seeks Authorization
for the First Official Exploration by U.S. Government

On this day in 1803, Thomas Jefferson, in a secret communication to Congress, requested authorization for exploration of what would become the property of the United States in what would be known as the Louisiana Purchase.

The expedition which would be headed up by the now famous Meriwether Lewis and William Clark was the first exploration of its kind by the United States government. The objective of the mission as described by Jefferson was "...to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it..." to find the best way across the continent "...for the purposes of commerce."