In the Spring of 1803, the United States acquired the Territory of Louisiana, a largely uncharted tract of wilderness stretching from Canada down to New Orleans. Over 800,000 square miles that, as far the maps were concerned, remained a mystery. President Thomas Jefferson then ordered an expedition to explore this newly purchased land all the way west to the Pacific Ocean. Tasked with leading this endeavor – officially known as the Corp of Discovery – were Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The Corp of Discovery was to travel some 8,000 miles, navigating their way up the Missouri River before turning west and crossing the Rocky Mountains. From the Oto to the Mandan and from the Shoshone to the Clatsop, Lewis and Clark would encounter dozens of tribes along their way, navigate hostile rivers and mountain passes, and even a few unfriendly grizzlies. But what about the rumors of woolly mammoth and a lost tribe of Welshmen? What became of Lewis and Clark after the expedition? What about Sacagawea and Clark's slave York? This is a compilation of previously released material.

HELLOFRESH sponsors this episode!!! For FREE breakfast for life, go to HelloFresh.com/freewildwest. One free breakfast per item, per box, while subscription is active!!!!

This episode is sponsored by PRIZEPICKS!!! Download the PrizePicks app today and use code WILDWEST and get $50 instantly when you play $5! That’s code WILDWEST on PrizePicks to get $50 instantly when you play $5! You don’t even need to win to receive the $50 bonus, it’s guaranteed!

Check out the Wild West Extravaganza website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/

Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose - https://www.amazon.com/Undaunted-Courage-Meriwether-Jefferson-American/dp/0684826976

Journals of Lewis & Clark - https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/

Explorers Podcast - https://explorerspodcast.com/lewis-and-clark/

Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest

Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/

Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices