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The Journals of Lewis and Clark
The Journals of Lewis and Clark are "the first report on the West, on the United States over the hill and beyond the sunset, on the province of the American future" (Bernard DeVoto).
In 1803, the great expanse of the Louisiana Purchase was an empty canvas. Keenly aware that the course of the nation's destiny lay westward—and that a "Voyage of Discovery" would be necessary to determine the nature of the frontier—President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition from the Missouri River to the northern Pacific coast and back.
From 1804 to 1806, accompanied by co-captain William Clark, the Shoshone guide Sacajawea, and thirty-two men, Lewis mapped rivers, traced the principal waterways to the sea, and established the American claim to the territories of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
Together the captains kept this journal: a richly detailed record of the flora and fauna they sighted, the native tribes they encountered, and the awe-inspiring landscape they traversed, from their base camp near present-day St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River, that has become an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and the writing of natural history.
In 1803, the great expanse of the Louisiana Purchase was an empty canvas. Keenly aware that the course of the nation's destiny lay westward—and that a "Voyage of Discovery" would be necessary to determine the nature of the frontier—President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition from the Missouri River to the northern Pacific coast and back.
From 1804 to 1806, accompanied by co-captain William Clark, the Shoshone guide Sacajawea, and thirty-two men, Lewis mapped rivers, traced the principal waterways to the sea, and established the American claim to the territories of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.
Together the captains kept this journal: a richly detailed record of the flora and fauna they sighted, the native tribes they encountered, and the awe-inspiring landscape they traversed, from their base camp near present-day St. Louis to the mouth of the Columbia River, that has become an incomparable contribution to the literature of exploration and the writing of natural history.
576 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
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About the author
Meriwether Lewis
308 books30 followersMeriwether Lewis was an American explorer, soldier, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition also known as the Corps of Discovery, with William Clark, whose mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.
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April 3, 2023
Every product of the American school system knows the basic story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson nearly doubled the size of the United States by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon. But he did not know what he had bought. Most of the land was not even really controlled by France. What he had basically acquired was the legal right to evict the Native Americans on this territory (they don’t exactly put it that way in school). He needed to figure out who was living there, and what the place was like.
He thus recruited Meriweather Lewis (a fellow Virginian) to put together a team. Lewis, for his part, chose his old army buddy William Clark to co-lead, and the two of them assembled a group of several dozen men. They set off in May of 1804 and did not return until September of 1806, by which time many had assumed they had died. Yet through a combination of luck and leadership, almost every member of the party made it back, with the exception of Charles Floyd, who died only three months into the expedition of acute appendicitis (untreatable at the time). Considering the many dangers they faced during the journey—disease, bears, malnourishment, hazardous terrain, potentially hostile natives—this is a testament to the leadership of these two men.
Any genuine document from the past is liable to produce culture shock. This is certainly true here. Though Lewis and Clark were, in many respects, modern men, their understanding of medicine was hardly different from what was practiced in Ancient Greece or Medieval Europe—consisting of purgatives, laxatives, bleeding, or poultices (basically a warm onion tied to the skin). In short, if anyone fell sick (and they frequently did), the remedy often made it worse. Another shock was the brutality of corporal punishment ordered to be carried out on wayward men—to be whipped and beaten within an inch of their lives. Indeed, whenever these punishments are carried out in the presence of natives, these “savages” (as they are constantly referred to) consistently expressed horror at the white men’s barbarous justice.
As a child, I imagined the explorers making their way through an untouched wilderness. But the truth, as this diary shows, is that they were hardly ever alone. The land was occupied by a dense patchwork of different tribes and ethnic groups, with whom the party were in constant contact. Indeed, if not for the information and resources provided along the way, it is quite possible that they would not have made it back alive. And though Lewis and Clark act, for the most part, rather decently toward the natives they encounter, the tragedy of this voyage is, of course, the many peoples who will soon be displaced, and the many cultures which will soon be damaged or destroyed, as a result of American expansion.
One amusing (or perhaps disturbing) undercurrent is the amount of sexual relations that were going on as they made their way through the country. Both Lewis and Clark repeatedly mention being “offered” women by natives, which they assure us they refused. Nevertheless, by some mysterious circumstance, many of the party came down with venereal diseases—which were incurable at the time. (One man with syphilis is treated with mercury, which does not actually help, and is of course poisonous.) Indeed, with the corporal punishments, strict discipline, ever-present disease, hunger (they were reduced to eating horses and dogs on multiple occasions), nonexistent medical care, harsh conditions, and constant danger, one must imagine that it was pretty miserable to be one of Lewis and Clark’s men.
Though I picked up this book to learn a bit of history, I was pleasantly surprised at how readable this journal is. Both Lewis and Clark are sturdy writers—Lewis, more introspective and scientific, and Clark more reliable, straightforward, and personable (and with a winsome penchant for novel spellings)—and their journey is exciting enough without any literary embellishment. In short, this is a fascinating and rewarding document in many respects—as a scientific record of flora and fauna, as an anthropological record of America’s native peoples, as an topographic record of rivers and mountains, as a historical record of a decisive moment in the country’s history, and simply as a thrilling story.
He thus recruited Meriweather Lewis (a fellow Virginian) to put together a team. Lewis, for his part, chose his old army buddy William Clark to co-lead, and the two of them assembled a group of several dozen men. They set off in May of 1804 and did not return until September of 1806, by which time many had assumed they had died. Yet through a combination of luck and leadership, almost every member of the party made it back, with the exception of Charles Floyd, who died only three months into the expedition of acute appendicitis (untreatable at the time). Considering the many dangers they faced during the journey—disease, bears, malnourishment, hazardous terrain, potentially hostile natives—this is a testament to the leadership of these two men.
Any genuine document from the past is liable to produce culture shock. This is certainly true here. Though Lewis and Clark were, in many respects, modern men, their understanding of medicine was hardly different from what was practiced in Ancient Greece or Medieval Europe—consisting of purgatives, laxatives, bleeding, or poultices (basically a warm onion tied to the skin). In short, if anyone fell sick (and they frequently did), the remedy often made it worse. Another shock was the brutality of corporal punishment ordered to be carried out on wayward men—to be whipped and beaten within an inch of their lives. Indeed, whenever these punishments are carried out in the presence of natives, these “savages” (as they are constantly referred to) consistently expressed horror at the white men’s barbarous justice.
As a child, I imagined the explorers making their way through an untouched wilderness. But the truth, as this diary shows, is that they were hardly ever alone. The land was occupied by a dense patchwork of different tribes and ethnic groups, with whom the party were in constant contact. Indeed, if not for the information and resources provided along the way, it is quite possible that they would not have made it back alive. And though Lewis and Clark act, for the most part, rather decently toward the natives they encounter, the tragedy of this voyage is, of course, the many peoples who will soon be displaced, and the many cultures which will soon be damaged or destroyed, as a result of American expansion.
One amusing (or perhaps disturbing) undercurrent is the amount of sexual relations that were going on as they made their way through the country. Both Lewis and Clark repeatedly mention being “offered” women by natives, which they assure us they refused. Nevertheless, by some mysterious circumstance, many of the party came down with venereal diseases—which were incurable at the time. (One man with syphilis is treated with mercury, which does not actually help, and is of course poisonous.) Indeed, with the corporal punishments, strict discipline, ever-present disease, hunger (they were reduced to eating horses and dogs on multiple occasions), nonexistent medical care, harsh conditions, and constant danger, one must imagine that it was pretty miserable to be one of Lewis and Clark’s men.
Though I picked up this book to learn a bit of history, I was pleasantly surprised at how readable this journal is. Both Lewis and Clark are sturdy writers—Lewis, more introspective and scientific, and Clark more reliable, straightforward, and personable (and with a winsome penchant for novel spellings)—and their journey is exciting enough without any literary embellishment. In short, this is a fascinating and rewarding document in many respects—as a scientific record of flora and fauna, as an anthropological record of America’s native peoples, as an topographic record of rivers and mountains, as a historical record of a decisive moment in the country’s history, and simply as a thrilling story.
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October 8, 2007Did you know Lewis and Clark had a dog with them that went all the way to the Pacific and back?
August 10, 2024
This was my ambitious reading project for 2021 - reading through the (nearly) unabridged Journals Of Lewis and Clark. While there are many different truncated versions of these journals, abridgments of various lengths, I wanted immersion in their Voyage of Discovery, so I listened to an audiobook of the journals that clocked in at over seventy hours.
Because both Lewis and Clark made notations in their journals about each day there is an odd echo effect when listening to them. They recorded the same events, in nearly the same language, and in similar order. Picking out the slight, stylistic differences in these dual entries became part of the reading experience.
As to the contents, they noted flora and fauna, how it conformed or differed from that known in America or whether it was wholly new. They noted the Indian tribes they encountered, their appearance, habits, customs, and degree of friendliness or opposition to them. Accidents, setbacks, and hostile encounters, of course, were of interest. The behavior, actions, and discipline of their troop are examined in detail as well.
Reading these first hand accounts of Americans exploring the vast territory of a continent their nation would eventually inhabit was both fascinating and sad. Fascinating, of course, because of that experience of pushing into a world unknown and mapping its possibilities. Sad, because of the knowledge that their journey was the harbinger of the ultimate destruction and annihilation of the Native societies that they encountered along the way.
Because both Lewis and Clark made notations in their journals about each day there is an odd echo effect when listening to them. They recorded the same events, in nearly the same language, and in similar order. Picking out the slight, stylistic differences in these dual entries became part of the reading experience.
As to the contents, they noted flora and fauna, how it conformed or differed from that known in America or whether it was wholly new. They noted the Indian tribes they encountered, their appearance, habits, customs, and degree of friendliness or opposition to them. Accidents, setbacks, and hostile encounters, of course, were of interest. The behavior, actions, and discipline of their troop are examined in detail as well.
Reading these first hand accounts of Americans exploring the vast territory of a continent their nation would eventually inhabit was both fascinating and sad. Fascinating, of course, because of that experience of pushing into a world unknown and mapping its possibilities. Sad, because of the knowledge that their journey was the harbinger of the ultimate destruction and annihilation of the Native societies that they encountered along the way.
October 21, 2007
The ultimate travel book. A well-edited and annotated conglomeration of both Lewis & Clark's journals of their journey to find the west coast of America and back. Truly one of the most amazing journeys ever made by Americans - and one that still is probably more amazing than the one made to the moon. The writing itself is really interesting (and funny) for its typical early 19th century disregard for regularity of spellings, but the sheer awesomeness of seeing the things they saw for the first time through their eyes is what makes this work truly worth reading again and again. Highly recommended.
January 7, 2025
After reading The Journals of Lewis and Clark, I’m left amazed how fragile their expedition really was. It’s nothing short of a miracle that only one person died from their crew throughout, despite constant near death experiences from the likes of native peoples, bear and other animal attacks, wildfire, falling trees, flash floods, starvation, sexually transmitted diseases, food poisioning, drowning, etc. It’s incredible that their journals also survived, despite being repeatedly submerged in water through their boats capsizing and severe weather.
While coming in at 500 pages, this edition is actually a highly edited version from the complete journals, with the stated goal of giving the casual reader a more accessible account of the journey. Editor Bernard DeVoto’s chapter summaries kept the narrative flowing (although the return journey home felt more bogged down in monotony), and generally chose the most fascinating and important events from the journey to include here. I did find myself often wanting more information than was generally included in the footnotes though, especially modern names of places they explored so I could follow along on a map. While these were sometimes included, they often appeared out of date. This led to a feeling like there should be an updated edition of these journals. Also, at the end, we don’t get an afterward section that explains what happened to everyone afterwards, which I would have appreciated.
Lewis and Clark do have atrocious spelling and this will either endear you to them, or turn you off from the book (as evident from some of the negative reviews here). I didn’t find it that challenging to understand the meaning through all the misspellings but I do wonder if Lewis and Clark had published the journals within their lifetime, if they wouldn’t have had it edited into a proper form with proper spelling. Despite the poor grammar and spelling, Lewis and Clark were surprisingly adept at descriptive writing at times, provoking images in the reader’s mind that really put you there with them.
There is much to be admired about the leadership of Lewis and Clark, and it is interesting getting to know them and their differences. But it cannot be overstated how much they depended upon the kindness and cooperation of the native peoples they met along the way. This book is full of these fascinating interactions and little details between them and the native tribes they met who had never seen white people before. They created deep friendships, even defending tribes militaristically from others. Lewis and Clark often healed the natives they met who had medical issues. There seemed to be a recognition and respect of the native peoples, while simultaneously also displaying what came across like a patronizing way of talking about them calling them “dutiful children”, “our red children”, or “faithful red children”.
Sacagawea interestingly isn’t talked about very often in the book. Given her fame, I thought she would be such a main character in this and while she was integral to the trip in interpreting and guiding, and we do see a dramatic scene where she is reunited with her tribe, Lewis and Clark only call her by name a few times, mostly referring to her as “The Squar-wife of our interpreter Shabono”, “Shabano’s Squar”, “His snake indian wife”, etc. I was surprised at how little she seemed esteemed to Lewis and Clark again given her fame with the expedition. But it was still fascinating to learn about her from what information there was and Clark did end up adopting her child.
There are so many incredible incidents and unexpected things that happen that I want to talk about, but I know this isn’t really the place for that. I would encourage anyone who is interested in this kind of history to read this book. This record is so valuable in so many ways. I’m left in awe of it, and hope I can someday retrace the steps of the journey.
While coming in at 500 pages, this edition is actually a highly edited version from the complete journals, with the stated goal of giving the casual reader a more accessible account of the journey. Editor Bernard DeVoto’s chapter summaries kept the narrative flowing (although the return journey home felt more bogged down in monotony), and generally chose the most fascinating and important events from the journey to include here. I did find myself often wanting more information than was generally included in the footnotes though, especially modern names of places they explored so I could follow along on a map. While these were sometimes included, they often appeared out of date. This led to a feeling like there should be an updated edition of these journals. Also, at the end, we don’t get an afterward section that explains what happened to everyone afterwards, which I would have appreciated.
Lewis and Clark do have atrocious spelling and this will either endear you to them, or turn you off from the book (as evident from some of the negative reviews here). I didn’t find it that challenging to understand the meaning through all the misspellings but I do wonder if Lewis and Clark had published the journals within their lifetime, if they wouldn’t have had it edited into a proper form with proper spelling. Despite the poor grammar and spelling, Lewis and Clark were surprisingly adept at descriptive writing at times, provoking images in the reader’s mind that really put you there with them.
There is much to be admired about the leadership of Lewis and Clark, and it is interesting getting to know them and their differences. But it cannot be overstated how much they depended upon the kindness and cooperation of the native peoples they met along the way. This book is full of these fascinating interactions and little details between them and the native tribes they met who had never seen white people before. They created deep friendships, even defending tribes militaristically from others. Lewis and Clark often healed the natives they met who had medical issues. There seemed to be a recognition and respect of the native peoples, while simultaneously also displaying what came across like a patronizing way of talking about them calling them “dutiful children”, “our red children”, or “faithful red children”.
Sacagawea interestingly isn’t talked about very often in the book. Given her fame, I thought she would be such a main character in this and while she was integral to the trip in interpreting and guiding, and we do see a dramatic scene where she is reunited with her tribe, Lewis and Clark only call her by name a few times, mostly referring to her as “The Squar-wife of our interpreter Shabono”, “Shabano’s Squar”, “His snake indian wife”, etc. I was surprised at how little she seemed esteemed to Lewis and Clark again given her fame with the expedition. But it was still fascinating to learn about her from what information there was and Clark did end up adopting her child.
There are so many incredible incidents and unexpected things that happen that I want to talk about, but I know this isn’t really the place for that. I would encourage anyone who is interested in this kind of history to read this book. This record is so valuable in so many ways. I’m left in awe of it, and hope I can someday retrace the steps of the journey.
October 19, 2016
These dudes....Seriously.
If you want to know what it takes to survive in the wilderness, read these journals.
I feel like the general sentiment these days is that Lewis and Clark are both stereotypical, ignorant dorks who crossed America just with Sacagewea to help them and that she pretty much did all the heavy lifting for them. That Lewis was the pansy sort of intellectual and Clark the somewhat uneducated but man's man co-captain.
Not true in the slightest.
For one thing, they had 33 companions with them, including Sacagawea's husband and a French trapper, both of whose names Lewis and Clark routinely butcher (the dorks).
They were also both terrible spellers, another endearing trait.
And while Sacagawea certainly helped them, it's not like she blazed the trail and were followed by the "ignorant non-natives" who were completely helpless. Nope. Not at all.
In fact, I surprised myself by growing quite fond of them both, though I'll admit I preferred Clark, and though the journals are hardly page turners, there ARE rather intense moments and also rather endearing moments as well. Not necessarily in what these two say, but how they say it.
Honestly, just...Read this. Seriously. It's abridged, it's fun, it's interesting...And it's history that reads like fiction. The best kind.
If you want to know what it takes to survive in the wilderness, read these journals.
I feel like the general sentiment these days is that Lewis and Clark are both stereotypical, ignorant dorks who crossed America just with Sacagewea to help them and that she pretty much did all the heavy lifting for them. That Lewis was the pansy sort of intellectual and Clark the somewhat uneducated but man's man co-captain.
Not true in the slightest.
For one thing, they had 33 companions with them, including Sacagawea's husband and a French trapper, both of whose names Lewis and Clark routinely butcher (the dorks).
They were also both terrible spellers, another endearing trait.
And while Sacagawea certainly helped them, it's not like she blazed the trail and were followed by the "ignorant non-natives" who were completely helpless. Nope. Not at all.
In fact, I surprised myself by growing quite fond of them both, though I'll admit I preferred Clark, and though the journals are hardly page turners, there ARE rather intense moments and also rather endearing moments as well. Not necessarily in what these two say, but how they say it.
Honestly, just...Read this. Seriously. It's abridged, it's fun, it's interesting...And it's history that reads like fiction. The best kind.
May 9, 2014
Maybe I'm a sap. I don't know. This book was enthralling from start to finish. One of the most pivotal moments in American history as Merriwether Lewis and William Clark set off on a brave expedition of what would soon become United States territory. Sent on a mission of exploration and commerce by Thomas Jefferson this duo and their cohorts endure hardship after hardship on their quest to follow the Missouri River to its headwaters and to the Pacific Ocean beyond.
The prose is stunning as the two leaders trade off journaling duties. They blithely describe sights never before seen by white men, and now never to be seen again. Massive herds of bison. Yellowstone park untouched by development hands, roadless expanses of the North American west.
This is a must read for history buffs, or simply adventurers. These two young men make our thrill-seeking generation look demure and unaccomplished.
The prose is stunning as the two leaders trade off journaling duties. They blithely describe sights never before seen by white men, and now never to be seen again. Massive herds of bison. Yellowstone park untouched by development hands, roadless expanses of the North American west.
This is a must read for history buffs, or simply adventurers. These two young men make our thrill-seeking generation look demure and unaccomplished.
March 17, 2017
A journal entry or two a day for nearly a year and it was worth every word and hour. Clark wasted no words while Lewis was a story teller and their cohesive voices took me on an uncharted journey to the west coast through land that no white man had yet seen at that time.
I've followed many parts of the trails while reading their words. I've stood where they stood and I've read their words while envisioning what they saw.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark are words that can change your life. This is historical reading at its finest.
I've followed many parts of the trails while reading their words. I've stood where they stood and I've read their words while envisioning what they saw.
The Journals of Lewis and Clark are words that can change your life. This is historical reading at its finest.
November 13, 2020
The main problem here is that neither Lewis nor Clark could write very well.
March 28, 2020
I finished this many years ago but was reminded of it after making a stupid drunken comment on someone else’s progress with Mason and Dixon. Reason: Similar atmosphere in both books, and I really think Pynchon used this as a reference for writing M&D as the tone is similar, as well as word choices and even the Germanic use of random capital letters.
Next to the first installment of The Diary of Anaïs Nin, this is my favorite literary work pulled from journals, letters, diaries, etc. ever. Loved it more than Whitman’s Specimen Days Among others. I’m only bothering to write this because of two reasons: (1) Really loved it and (2) I cannot believe that none of the otherwise adventurous and erudite people I stalk on GoodReads have never read it.
I will divide this review into two parts.
Part one: The Story. Okay so two guys and a huge number of military dudes from the earliest years of the 1800s took on an expedition from St Louis to some shoreline in what is now called Washington. They had one single casualty and that was due to an illness conceived by the victim before they had left St Louis. Outdoors(!): the expedition experimented with so many ways of survival and travel. They left with some lame boots out of St Louis which fell apart and Indians (I’m going to call them that) taught them how to make much better moccasins. Indians also showed them how to make canoes your better eventually traverse the white water rapids of many rivers and creeks. This leads me to Politics(!): hey did you know that Indians aren’t just cool idiots who taught this expedition how to do stuff like this because it was in their nature to do so? For most of these tribes, it was their first contact with white people. Wow, much diplomacy. Seriously. These tribes ended up being mainly displaced and exterminated by later white people. We’ve all heard this narrative but let the one of this expedition amaze you with its humanity and ingenious diplomacy. It was an Indian tribe who took this expedition in when they reached the Pacific Ocean and helped them survive the harsh Washington State winter before they returned to St. Louis. This was a manly and adult expedition and the relations between the white males in the expedition and the Native Americans is so fucking righteous it’s a real goddamn shame that every other person to go west had to face political warfare with the natives after too much posturing and insensitive colonialism by just a few white people with a short attention span, low IQ and a power complex.
Part two: flora and fauna and writing. Lewis and Clark were scientists and writers. Highly educated. And amazing writing. Imagine National Geographic limited to just writing instead of edited videos and pictures and they’re exploring huge areas of new land and these are the two guys chosen to do it. Yes! Yes it’s that good. They document all the new plants they find. They document all the new animals. Most notable was the grizzly bear. The composed writing about this animal which continues to terrorize today is amazing. The familiar bear to Europeans in England’s new world was the black bear, which was something like an overgrown raccoon. I mean, it is. This expedition captures the first time educated white people ever met a grizzly bear, which is brown and generally three times the size of a black bear. Why do I say “educated white people”? Because back then being able to write was like having an iPhone with YouTube. This is the first account of that experience. Not a single man in the expedition was killed by a grizzly. They noted that the way to kill this bear (which would stand on its hind legs, roar while showing its fangs and claws upon encounter) was to shoot it between the eyes. These men were carrying muskets.
Next to the first installment of The Diary of Anaïs Nin, this is my favorite literary work pulled from journals, letters, diaries, etc. ever. Loved it more than Whitman’s Specimen Days Among others. I’m only bothering to write this because of two reasons: (1) Really loved it and (2) I cannot believe that none of the otherwise adventurous and erudite people I stalk on GoodReads have never read it.
I will divide this review into two parts.
Part one: The Story. Okay so two guys and a huge number of military dudes from the earliest years of the 1800s took on an expedition from St Louis to some shoreline in what is now called Washington. They had one single casualty and that was due to an illness conceived by the victim before they had left St Louis. Outdoors(!): the expedition experimented with so many ways of survival and travel. They left with some lame boots out of St Louis which fell apart and Indians (I’m going to call them that) taught them how to make much better moccasins. Indians also showed them how to make canoes your better eventually traverse the white water rapids of many rivers and creeks. This leads me to Politics(!): hey did you know that Indians aren’t just cool idiots who taught this expedition how to do stuff like this because it was in their nature to do so? For most of these tribes, it was their first contact with white people. Wow, much diplomacy. Seriously. These tribes ended up being mainly displaced and exterminated by later white people. We’ve all heard this narrative but let the one of this expedition amaze you with its humanity and ingenious diplomacy. It was an Indian tribe who took this expedition in when they reached the Pacific Ocean and helped them survive the harsh Washington State winter before they returned to St. Louis. This was a manly and adult expedition and the relations between the white males in the expedition and the Native Americans is so fucking righteous it’s a real goddamn shame that every other person to go west had to face political warfare with the natives after too much posturing and insensitive colonialism by just a few white people with a short attention span, low IQ and a power complex.
Part two: flora and fauna and writing. Lewis and Clark were scientists and writers. Highly educated. And amazing writing. Imagine National Geographic limited to just writing instead of edited videos and pictures and they’re exploring huge areas of new land and these are the two guys chosen to do it. Yes! Yes it’s that good. They document all the new plants they find. They document all the new animals. Most notable was the grizzly bear. The composed writing about this animal which continues to terrorize today is amazing. The familiar bear to Europeans in England’s new world was the black bear, which was something like an overgrown raccoon. I mean, it is. This expedition captures the first time educated white people ever met a grizzly bear, which is brown and generally three times the size of a black bear. Why do I say “educated white people”? Because back then being able to write was like having an iPhone with YouTube. This is the first account of that experience. Not a single man in the expedition was killed by a grizzly. They noted that the way to kill this bear (which would stand on its hind legs, roar while showing its fangs and claws upon encounter) was to shoot it between the eyes. These men were carrying muskets.
May 22, 2024
A fascinating look at the journals of the two leading men of the first expedition to cross what would become the United States, from the Missouri river to the west coast. Apart from the distraction of almost randomized spelling and idioms used, this is a look at a mostly unspoiled country, and an interaction with native cultures and ways of life that would soon become extinct. Sacagawea has a smaller role in the expedition than I thought, but certainly there was much more to her story than we will ever know. Overall, essential reading to find out what America was like before it was America.
November 17, 2024
It was an interesting read but a little dry at times, which is fair considering the content. If you were hard core into Lewis and Clark this book would be perfect for you. I did quite enjoy reading about the different Indian tribes and how they dressed and such. At one point Lewis has a birthday and laments that he hasn’t done much with his life. I exclaimed, You’re exploring the United States!! You’re doing amazing things!
December 4, 2019
A somewhat cumbersome, laborious read. Echoing the musquetos, eye knots and prickly pears pestering Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery.
September 28, 2009
Wow. I was expecting something slow but this was a thriller. Seeing the great West unfold before these men was an exciting read. Made me wonder why I read fictional adventures when this is out there…
Sacajawea steals the show in the early part of the book. These great men really depend on her. She guides them, teaches them what to eat and translates. Her husband was a bit of an ass-always getting sore feet, sinking a boat, unable to swim, but they got to take him along because they need her. 2 weeks into picking her up, she gives birth to a baby and she hauls this kid around the entire 2-3 years. When she takes ill, the entire company (50 or so men) all halt and L&C personally see to her health. They are constantly sending out scout parties before the larger group presses on and you repeated hear that the scout crew consisted of “Myself (L or C), 2 lieutenants, the Indian woman and her baby.” The baby? Seriously? How did she feed the damn thing?
The most dramatic moment occurs at a meeting with the Snake Indians. She is sitting with L&C when the Chief enters the scene and she breaks down crying because one of the Chief’s men is her brother. Turns out she was kidnapped from the Snakes during a war and hadn’t seen him for years. This is why she knows the way and can speak so many languages. What life brings.
L&C give some extraordinary accounts of the West of course. This was a group under orders from President Jefferson. They went about notifying each group they encountered-trappers or Indians-that these lands were now under the power of the US. There are even a few stand-offs with guns drawn. They recorded what they saw, taking geological surveys, and their encounters with different animals including Grizzlies and “little wolves” (coyotes). They send a live prairie dog back to the President. They also discuss the various Indian customs and compare the different tribes. One interesting issue is that L&C’s men had sex all up and down the west as the Indian men offered them their women. VD became serious problem.
Interesting how the two leaders differed. Lewis is very introspective in his writing and can be hard on himself. He eventually (years later) commits suicide. Clark is matter of fact but he also ends up the one who is truly thankful to Sacajawea and provides for the education of her child.
An amazing adventure story. An easy read. Highly recommended for any American.
Sacajawea steals the show in the early part of the book. These great men really depend on her. She guides them, teaches them what to eat and translates. Her husband was a bit of an ass-always getting sore feet, sinking a boat, unable to swim, but they got to take him along because they need her. 2 weeks into picking her up, she gives birth to a baby and she hauls this kid around the entire 2-3 years. When she takes ill, the entire company (50 or so men) all halt and L&C personally see to her health. They are constantly sending out scout parties before the larger group presses on and you repeated hear that the scout crew consisted of “Myself (L or C), 2 lieutenants, the Indian woman and her baby.” The baby? Seriously? How did she feed the damn thing?
The most dramatic moment occurs at a meeting with the Snake Indians. She is sitting with L&C when the Chief enters the scene and she breaks down crying because one of the Chief’s men is her brother. Turns out she was kidnapped from the Snakes during a war and hadn’t seen him for years. This is why she knows the way and can speak so many languages. What life brings.
L&C give some extraordinary accounts of the West of course. This was a group under orders from President Jefferson. They went about notifying each group they encountered-trappers or Indians-that these lands were now under the power of the US. There are even a few stand-offs with guns drawn. They recorded what they saw, taking geological surveys, and their encounters with different animals including Grizzlies and “little wolves” (coyotes). They send a live prairie dog back to the President. They also discuss the various Indian customs and compare the different tribes. One interesting issue is that L&C’s men had sex all up and down the west as the Indian men offered them their women. VD became serious problem.
Interesting how the two leaders differed. Lewis is very introspective in his writing and can be hard on himself. He eventually (years later) commits suicide. Clark is matter of fact but he also ends up the one who is truly thankful to Sacajawea and provides for the education of her child.
An amazing adventure story. An easy read. Highly recommended for any American.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2015
An amazing story and perspective. I was given an abbreviated summary during my school history class days on the journey and its ramifications on the future expansion and development of the American nation. Also there are the brief documentaries and public references to Lewis and Clark. But to read the actual and frequent (many times updated daily) words of the two leaders and the human level challenges of their trek, including their party's non stop daily supply gathering, searching for food, navigating landscape and weather, and intensive bartering with the Native Americans to stay alive and healthy, impacts deep my appreciation.
The journal combines the two Lewis and Clark journals chronologically together. It's interesting at times to read how some events are remembered and recorded differently by two different perspectives. However, a majority of the events are similarly recounted by the two, which makes for in essence a lot of repeated entries and thus bloat to skim.
I've seen before people describe the party's trek as braving the virgin American wilderness. It is clear from the journal this is not the case to a huge degree. All along the expedition route a network of near continous native American communities are present and actively extend their aid and supplies, sometimes freely and sometimes through barter. Truly, the Tribes deserve as much claim to participation and success to the mission as the American government.
For eye-opening anylysis highlighting the various backing personalities, politics, sciences, and technologies of the era toward the development and continued support of the expedition, I recommend Stephen Ambrose's book.
The journal combines the two Lewis and Clark journals chronologically together. It's interesting at times to read how some events are remembered and recorded differently by two different perspectives. However, a majority of the events are similarly recounted by the two, which makes for in essence a lot of repeated entries and thus bloat to skim.
I've seen before people describe the party's trek as braving the virgin American wilderness. It is clear from the journal this is not the case to a huge degree. All along the expedition route a network of near continous native American communities are present and actively extend their aid and supplies, sometimes freely and sometimes through barter. Truly, the Tribes deserve as much claim to participation and success to the mission as the American government.
For eye-opening anylysis highlighting the various backing personalities, politics, sciences, and technologies of the era toward the development and continued support of the expedition, I recommend Stephen Ambrose's book.
July 21, 2017
Enjoyed it...it took a bit to get into the feel of it, but once I did, I got into it more. Captains Lewis and Clark both had very good powers of description, and obviously possessed quite a bit of attention to detail. I liked the stories about the encounters they had with the wildlife, and also with the Native Americans. The story about Lewis advancing toward the Natives in a couple scenarios, saying the word he thought meant white man, when he was in fact announcing that he was a "stranger" or possibly an "enemy..." Very intriguing in one way, that more casualties weren't experienced on their journeys, with all the different risks involved, between the threats of the rivers, the wild animals, and of course, the native peoples, who could have easily not accepted them more often than welcoming them. There were some incidents of course, in which things got riled, or some had ended up being horse thieves, but all in all, they made some good bonds with the Native tribes. Also, the amount of things that they were able to map out, and discover along the way, and specimens brought back, were highly valuable to the nation at the time. It's interesting to me, as noted in the afterword, that much of the writing was done later, as far as polishing it up and putting everything together from the notes they had jotted down at the time, and it makes more sense how some of it has such a smooth feel to it. Lewis' descriptions of the Great Falls area were very articulate and I thought interesting. It's also impressive to note their ability to measure with the limited resources they would have had. A 2 yr journey, that I'm sure changed their lives.
October 14, 2014
Love the source materials. So often I read the stuff in it's translated form from throughout history. But here, oh HERE, I can read Lewis' Americana before Americana even had a name. The grammar and spelling is classic, and the whole thing can easily rival any fiction you might pick up.
I read this along with "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose. He did good job at bringing in all the surrounding history, maps, sources, and the journals of the other men who went along on the expedition. But, really, it doesn't compare to reading Lewis and Clark's own words.
Just, if you like American History and you're big on source materials, you need to get yourself a copy and read through it. No doubt hearing what the party eats and kills, every day, gets tiresome but even that kinds of builds on itself until they get to the Bitteroots.
I read this along with "Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose. He did good job at bringing in all the surrounding history, maps, sources, and the journals of the other men who went along on the expedition. But, really, it doesn't compare to reading Lewis and Clark's own words.
Just, if you like American History and you're big on source materials, you need to get yourself a copy and read through it. No doubt hearing what the party eats and kills, every day, gets tiresome but even that kinds of builds on itself until they get to the Bitteroots.
September 27, 2018
Stepping off with Lewis and Clark on their There And Back Again adventure. Journals start on May 14, 1804 and end in September 1806. Going to read in "real time" so I'll be done in 2018.....
Two and a half years later............
I've easy-chair traveled with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for two and half years now, having read this DeVoto-edited (original language) and Brandt-edited (mediated spelling, punctuation) diaries of the Corps of Discovery's westward expedition in real time.
It was interesting to read the versions simultaneously, day by day, both to watch the adventure unfold and to compare the abridgments, often wondering why one or the other of the editors chose to include or leave out certain entries.
Both versions include valuable appendices detailing Jefferson's instructions, expedition personnel, supplies brought with, and treasures sent home.
Two and a half years later............
I've easy-chair traveled with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for two and half years now, having read this DeVoto-edited (original language) and Brandt-edited (mediated spelling, punctuation) diaries of the Corps of Discovery's westward expedition in real time.
It was interesting to read the versions simultaneously, day by day, both to watch the adventure unfold and to compare the abridgments, often wondering why one or the other of the editors chose to include or leave out certain entries.
Both versions include valuable appendices detailing Jefferson's instructions, expedition personnel, supplies brought with, and treasures sent home.
September 29, 2010
I had always wanted to read this, and I thought there was no better time for it than while I was in Montana recently driving through the same some of the same areas in which the Lewis & Clark party traveled. Mind you, neither Lewis nor Clark wrote anything of literary quality, but the picture of an American West in which thousands of bison can be glimpsed at a time and areas which it was impossible to be traversed without being simultaneously attacked by multiple grizzly bears was a sad harbinger of the changes to come. I like Bakeless's Signet Classics abridged edition because the central idea comes across without getting lost in spelling variations. Also, his footnotes are generally helpful.
February 18, 2016
I had high hopes for this, but I'll be honest: the discovery of the West is incredibly interesting; Lewis and Clark's journals aren't. These journals clearly were not meant for other people to read. They're tedious reading (because day-to-day routines are tedious), and are too close to the action to show the interesting bits of their journey.
February 1, 2012
I will say this: It's a good book to read if you want to get to sleep.
I did not finish this. Perhaps I'll try in another ten years.
I did not finish this. Perhaps I'll try in another ten years.
January 4, 2018
Read most but finally bogged down. Fascinating details. I should go back to it some time, but "so many books...."
October 17, 2022
> After writing this imperfect description I again viewed the falls and was so much disgusted with the imperfect idea which it conveyed of the scene that I determined to draw my pen across it and begin again, but then reflected that I could not perhaps succeed better than penning the first impressions of the mind. I wished for the pencil of Salvator Rosa or the pen of Thomson [Rosa was known for his wilderness landscapes; Thomson was the author of a then famous poem called “The Seasons,” which is full of natural description], that I might be enabled to give to the enlightened world some just idea of this truly magnificent and sublimely grand object, which has from the commencement of time been concealed from the view of civilized man; but this was fruitless and vain. I most sincerely regretted that I had not brought a camera obscura with me by the assistance of which even I could have hoped to have done better, but alas, this was also out of my reach. I therefore with the assistance of my pen only endeavored to trace some of the stronger features of this scene, by the assistance of which and my recollection, aided by some able pencil, I hope still to give to the world some faint idea of an object which at this moment fills me with such pleasure and astonishment, and which of its kind I will venture to assert is second to but one in the known world [the ‘one’ he refers to is no doubt Niagara Falls, already a famous tourist attraction].
> The next day, the 20th, both Lewis and Clark noted meadow fires that were too large to be accidental; they had been seen, and the Shoshone were warning other members of the tribe that they were a possible Blackfeet raiding party. Clark left his own sign—clothes, linens, paper—to show the Indians that they were white men, not Blackfeet.
> At four p.m. they arrived at the confluence of the two rivers where I had left the note. This note had unfortunately been placed on a green pole which the beaver had cut and carried off together with the note. The possibility of such an occurrence never once occurred to me when I placed it on the green pole
> The next day, the 20th, both Lewis and Clark noted meadow fires that were too large to be accidental; they had been seen, and the Shoshone were warning other members of the tribe that they were a possible Blackfeet raiding party. Clark left his own sign—clothes, linens, paper—to show the Indians that they were white men, not Blackfeet.
> At four p.m. they arrived at the confluence of the two rivers where I had left the note. This note had unfortunately been placed on a green pole which the beaver had cut and carried off together with the note. The possibility of such an occurrence never once occurred to me when I placed it on the green pole
September 8, 2025
I think this could be made into an excellent HBO show, as long as the proper historical attention is paid to the events!
In their crossing of the county, the Lewis & Clark expedition faced encounters with rattlesnakes, grizzlies, & buffalo bulls - and they only had muzzle loaders for protection! They dealt with capsized boats and supplies repeatedly falling into the water and being ruined. At one point- a tree caught fire and fell on their dwelling just after they evacuated it. They were besieged by the elements - hailstorms, severe wind, incessant mosquitoes, and cold (one of the men got frostbite on his penis). On the return journey, Lewis was accidentally shot in the buttocks by one of his men. Surprisingly, only one man died on the expedition (although quite a few picked up venereal disease).
“Clark wrote, ‘Our party has been wet for eight days…their robes and leather clothes are rotted from being continually wet’ (on the 14th he noted that it had been raining for ten days without more than a two-hour let up.)” Welcome to Oregon lads!
Although they were both terrible spellers (“It’s worth mentioning that Clark spelled the word ‘Sioux’ more than 20 different ways in the journals, but almost never correctly.”), their journals still give one a feeling for what it must have been like to travel across the pristine and beautiful landscapes of this country back then. I swelled with pride at the fist mention of Mt. Hood and the Sandy River.
It was also surprising to learn how young they were. Lewis turned 30 on the trip - and the men celebrated with whisky and dancing till 11pm.
A highlight was when Sacagawea was unexpectedly reunited with her brother while translating for the group.
I also learned a new term from the journals: “Larboard”. Apparently this was the original term for the left side of a boat, but they changed it to port since it sounded too much like starboard!
In their crossing of the county, the Lewis & Clark expedition faced encounters with rattlesnakes, grizzlies, & buffalo bulls - and they only had muzzle loaders for protection! They dealt with capsized boats and supplies repeatedly falling into the water and being ruined. At one point- a tree caught fire and fell on their dwelling just after they evacuated it. They were besieged by the elements - hailstorms, severe wind, incessant mosquitoes, and cold (one of the men got frostbite on his penis). On the return journey, Lewis was accidentally shot in the buttocks by one of his men. Surprisingly, only one man died on the expedition (although quite a few picked up venereal disease).
“Clark wrote, ‘Our party has been wet for eight days…their robes and leather clothes are rotted from being continually wet’ (on the 14th he noted that it had been raining for ten days without more than a two-hour let up.)” Welcome to Oregon lads!
Although they were both terrible spellers (“It’s worth mentioning that Clark spelled the word ‘Sioux’ more than 20 different ways in the journals, but almost never correctly.”), their journals still give one a feeling for what it must have been like to travel across the pristine and beautiful landscapes of this country back then. I swelled with pride at the fist mention of Mt. Hood and the Sandy River.
It was also surprising to learn how young they were. Lewis turned 30 on the trip - and the men celebrated with whisky and dancing till 11pm.
A highlight was when Sacagawea was unexpectedly reunited with her brother while translating for the group.
I also learned a new term from the journals: “Larboard”. Apparently this was the original term for the left side of a boat, but they changed it to port since it sounded too much like starboard!
March 29, 2023
Hard to rate this - it's one of a kind and worth reading if you want a primary source, but it's a rough read with irregular spellings and punctuation, written by weary men in muddy clothes who rarely wax literary.
It was a stiff, slow start for me, struggling through lines like,
"Mended our Mast this morning & Set out at 7 oClock under a jentle breese from S.E. by S passed the large Island, and a Creek called Split rock Creek the water excessivly Strong, so much so that we Camped Sooner than the usual time to wait for the perogue"
but as the journey progressed, I got used to scanning odd words and got pulled farther in, so that I read the first half of the book in about three months and the second half in about two weeks. The homeward stretch is such a joy, despite the terse descriptions, because after the months of living soaked and bruised and eating horse meat and dried roots, they are almost home.
Second to last entry: "in the evening a dinner & Ball". A happy imagination supplies the details...
It was a stiff, slow start for me, struggling through lines like,
"Mended our Mast this morning & Set out at 7 oClock under a jentle breese from S.E. by S passed the large Island, and a Creek called Split rock Creek the water excessivly Strong, so much so that we Camped Sooner than the usual time to wait for the perogue"
but as the journey progressed, I got used to scanning odd words and got pulled farther in, so that I read the first half of the book in about three months and the second half in about two weeks. The homeward stretch is such a joy, despite the terse descriptions, because after the months of living soaked and bruised and eating horse meat and dried roots, they are almost home.
Second to last entry: "in the evening a dinner & Ball". A happy imagination supplies the details...
June 3, 2024
They made it home!!!!
5 stars not because it was particularly eloquent or a real page-turner, but because it’s actually insane that we have these journals. The fact that they meticulously wrote about what they did, who they encountered, and the land they saw is incredible. Lewis and Clark are some of the greatest American legends. Thankful to have taken this journey with them 🤝🏼
5 stars not because it was particularly eloquent or a real page-turner, but because it’s actually insane that we have these journals. The fact that they meticulously wrote about what they did, who they encountered, and the land they saw is incredible. Lewis and Clark are some of the greatest American legends. Thankful to have taken this journey with them 🤝🏼
February 10, 2025
One of the most epic adventure stories ever, straight from the pens of the captains themselves. Felt like I was along for the ride a lot of the time, almost like I was exhausted and ready to get back to civilization just as they were. And I know that feeling. I was lucky enough to forge a unique journey of my own late last summer and finally glimpse the Pacific Ocean at the same spot they did near the mouth of the Columbia. This expedition was the precursor to an avalanche of exploration and expansion and served as an example for many others to follow. I loved their novel descriptions of never before seen animals, their unique personalities showing through daily journal entries, and the sheer confidence they possessed to be able to stay calm and collected in nearly every shitty situation. Their diplomacy regarding the innumerable Indian Nations they contacted (and persuaded to be at peace) is pretty noteworthy too. One of the unsung triumphs in all American history.
4/5
4/5
January 25, 2024
Some parts were fascinating, particularly their interactions with Native Americans, but there were also a lot of monotonous sections describing rivers and the landscape that made me question if I would have been better off reading a book about the expedition rather than the actual journals.
June 14, 2024
It’s been a few years since I read, but top 5 reads of all time. Even though it doesn’t read like a novel, it’s fascinating to read the short recaps of each day and the slow journey out west. Go with Lewis and Clark on the journey!
February 11, 2018
Couldn’t get through this one. I wish it was more interesting to me, but it was a struggle to get through the first 100 or so pages.
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