Two years after being appointed by Thomas Jefferson as his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis was offered to lead an "exploring party" of the Louisiana Purchase, which is now known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. According to Monticello, the president chose Lewis to lead the party for his extensive experience in the army as well as his experience as a frontiersman. Despite his vast knowledge and abilities, though, he still needed to acquire more skills to aid him in the expedition. In 1803, Lewis studied under great scientific minds of the time including Caspar Wistar, Andrew Ellicott, Benjamin Rush, and Benjamin Smith Barton, among others, to gain more knowledge. He studied botany, surveying and map making, medicine, anatomy, and fossils.
Meriwether Lewis requested William Clark to join him in the expedition. The two had worked together prior to Lewis' time in the army, and he chose Clark to go with him for his excellent abilities as a frontiersman and draftsman, per the National Archives. Lewis believed in Clark's abilities so much that he appointed him as the co-captain of the expedition party. The Corps of Discovery expedition began in 1804 and ended in 1806.
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