Lewis, Meriwether (redirected from Meriwether Lewis)

Lewis, Meriwether, 1774–1809, American explorer, one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition, b. near Charlottesville, Va. He was a captain in the army and served in a number of campaigns against Native Americans before becoming (1801) secretary to his friend President Jefferson. Selected to head the expedition for a land route to the Pacific Ocean, he chose William Clark as his associate. Upon that successful venture Lewis's fame rests. In 1807 he was made governor of Louisiana Territory, with headquarters at St. Louis. In 1809, while traveling to Washington to prepare the journals of the expedition for publication, he died suddenly—either by murder or suicide—in a lonely inn on the Natchez Trace. The cause of his death is still the subject of controversy.

Bibliography

See biography by R. H. Dillon (1968); see also bibliography under Lewis and Clark expedition.

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Lewis, Meriwether

(born Aug. 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Va.—died Oct. 11, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn., U.S.) U.S. explorer. After serving in the militia during the Whiskey Rebellion (1794) in western Pennsylvania, he transferred into the regular army. In 1801 he became private secretary to Pres. Thomas Jefferson, who selected him to lead the first overland expedition to the Pacific Northwest, including the area of the Louisiana Purchase. At Lewis's request, William Clark was appointed to share the command. The success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06) was greatly due to Lewis's preparation and skill. At its conclusion, he and Clark each received 1,600 acres of land as a reward. Lewis was named governor of Louisiana Territory in 1808. He died under mysterious circumstances in an inn on the Natchez Trace while en route to Washington; whether his death resulted from murder or suicide is still a subject of controversy.

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Lewis, Meriwether (1774–1809) explorer, soldier; born in Albemarle County, Va. He became President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary (1801) and was chosen, with William Clark, to lead an overland expedition to the Pacific Ocean. He and Clark made careful observations of the wildlife and lands that they passed through on their journey (1804–06). Lewis was governor of the Louisiana Territory (1806–09) and died mysteriously while on his way to Washington, D.C., in 1809.