Jefferson also wanted to make sure that there could be a trading port available to the young country in New Orleans, and Jefferson feared that residents of the western portion of the nation might split away. His reasons for the mission were many (beyond basic exploration), and he was smart to get Congress to appropriate the money for the trip.

What was the journey like and would I have liked to have been part of it? The journals that Lewis and Clark kept provided the president with a wealth of new information about the animals and the natural world in the northwest region of the young country. The abundance of the salmon in the rivers was astounding to Lewis and Clark, and the bison, the elk, the pronghorn sheep and wolves made a huge impression on these men. They also encountered giant grizzly bears and were amazed by the enormousness of the plains spreading out before them. I would have...

I can imagine how stunningly beautiful this unexplored territory must have been, with unspoiled mile after mile of new discoveries. The fishing would have been unbelievably productive, and the hunting of course was wide open except for the Native Americans' special hunting grounds. The Lewis and Clark expedition also had a traveling library with them, a full load of weapons for defensive reasons, plenty of medical supplies and presents for the Indians -- including tomahawks that were also used as pipes (hopefully, for peaceful meetings with the natives). This would have been the trip of a lifetime, and the value it brought to the country -- showing the vision of Jefferson in designing the mission -- was substantial, which makes it all the more appealing to me.