# AC505 - 9/23/2006, USA, #3854, Bicentennial Corps of Discovery Explorers Triumphant Return to St. Louis
Cover Honors Final Event of Corps of Discovery Bicentennial Celebrations
The Corps of Discovery, led by Merriwesther Lewis and William Clark, left Missouri in May 1804 to explore the uncharted West. They finally returned to St. Louis two years later. The bicentennial celebrations of that journey recounted their trip. The final event was called Lewis & Clark; Currents of Change. This cover was postmarked at the station of this final national event.
One of the stamps featured on this cover, #3854, pays tribute to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The men braved exhaustion, wild animals, river rapids, and near starvation. The expedition reached the Pacific on November 7, 1805.
Lewis And Clark’s Corps Of Discovery
In 1803, Robert Livingston and James Monroe struck “the greatest real estate deal in history” – the Louisiana Purchase. As representatives for President Thomas Jefferson, they purchased a 530-million-acre area for $15 million, or about 3¢ per acre.
The 1803 Louisiana Purchase sparked interest in westward expansion. However, little was known about the territory. Shortly after the purchase, President Jefferson convinced Congress to appropriate $2,500 to fund an expedition led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The purpose of the expedition was to find a direct and predictable waterway across the continent for commerce. In addition, the group was to study Indian tribes, botany, and geology in the territory.
By late 1804, the expedition reached Fort Mandan in central North Dakota, where they set up their winter camp. While there, Lewis and Clark sent a shipment to Jefferson of some of their findings. Four boxes, two trunks, and three cages were shipped to Washington, D.C. They included Native American items, as well as animal skins, bones, and antlers. They also sent a live prairie dog, four magpies, and a grouse. In addition, Jefferson received plant, soil, and mineral samples.
Cover Honors Final Event of Corps of Discovery Bicentennial Celebrations
The Corps of Discovery, led by Merriwesther Lewis and William Clark, left Missouri in May 1804 to explore the uncharted West. They finally returned to St. Louis two years later. The bicentennial celebrations of that journey recounted their trip. The final event was called Lewis & Clark; Currents of Change. This cover was postmarked at the station of this final national event.
One of the stamps featured on this cover, #3854, pays tribute to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The men braved exhaustion, wild animals, river rapids, and near starvation. The expedition reached the Pacific on November 7, 1805.
Lewis And Clark’s Corps Of Discovery
In 1803, Robert Livingston and James Monroe struck “the greatest real estate deal in history” – the Louisiana Purchase. As representatives for President Thomas Jefferson, they purchased a 530-million-acre area for $15 million, or about 3¢ per acre.
The 1803 Louisiana Purchase sparked interest in westward expansion. However, little was known about the territory. Shortly after the purchase, President Jefferson convinced Congress to appropriate $2,500 to fund an expedition led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The purpose of the expedition was to find a direct and predictable waterway across the continent for commerce. In addition, the group was to study Indian tribes, botany, and geology in the territory.
By late 1804, the expedition reached Fort Mandan in central North Dakota, where they set up their winter camp. While there, Lewis and Clark sent a shipment to Jefferson of some of their findings. Four boxes, two trunks, and three cages were shipped to Washington, D.C. They included Native American items, as well as animal skins, bones, and antlers. They also sent a live prairie dog, four magpies, and a grouse. In addition, Jefferson received plant, soil, and mineral samples.