Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on an expedition so that trade could be established with western Native American people and so that they could also find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. regimt, of Infantry of the US. President Thomas Jefferson gave Meriwether Lewis detailed instructions for the expedition. of A. of the 1st. of A. Capt. Answer. First of all, it was Meriwhether Lewis who was assigned to explore the West. John Thomas Evans, who reached the Mandans in 1796, received instructions from his employer, James Mackay, that seem to anticipate Jefferson's instructions to Lewis and Clark. that the U.S. owned their territory/land Describe one arrangement Lewis and Clark made during their 5-month winter with the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians. Lewis and Clark Expedition Headwaters of the Missouri River, detail from Lewis and Clark Expedition map by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, 1804–06. Before Jefferson became president, he wanted to send explorers on an … "Your situation as Secretary of the President of the United States has made you acquainted with the objects of my confidential message of Jan. 18, 1803, to the legislature. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. On January 18, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson requested $2,500 from Congress for exploration of the trans-Mississippi west, which was approved on February 28. Answer: President Thomas Jefferson gave Meriwether Lewis detailed instructions for the expedition. Enlarge ... Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether Lewis, June 20, 1803, Instructions Created / Published 1803-06-20 Subject Headings - Correspondence Genre Correspondence Notes - Instructions Call Number/Physical Location series: Series 1: General Correspondence. Words in < > indicate that they were deleted from the original document, usually by the sender. fork, that which we meant to ascend, Jefferson’s River in honor of that illustrious personage Thomas Jefferson (the author of our enterprize)." PLEASE HELP THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH SHOW WORK PLEASE.. IM BEGGING PEEPS. The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804, when President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring lands west of the Mississippi River that comprised the Louisiana Purchase. Financial difficulties, political opposition, and probably alcoholism brought him to despair. Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Washington, D.C. Lewis & Clark's Expedition to the Complex West can be used as an introduction or for a closer study of the Lewis & Clark Expedition.Students will learn that the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore west of the Mississippi River in 1804 — though the land was already inhabited and politically complicated. What instructions did Jefferson give to Lewis and Clark?