Lewis and Clark were joined on the expedition by a Shoshone woman, Sacagawea, who proved invaluable as an interpreter and guide
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LEWIS AND CLARK REACH THE PACIFIC
After more than a year of trekking into the unknown – of bad weather, hostile natives, starvation and illness – explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1805. Two years earlier, the US had bought the Louisiana territory from France, covering 828,000 square miles, and President Tomas Jefferson tasked Lewis with exploring and mapping this mostly uncharted land. It was also hoped the expedition would establish contact with the indigenous people and find the fabled Northwest Passage, a rumoured navigable channel believed to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific. With 45 volunteers in the Corps of Discovery Lewis and his lieutenant, Clark, brought back detailed maps, as well as extensive records of the flora and fauna of the area. After reaching the Pacific, they completed the long journey home in September 1806.