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."
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