Meriwether Lewis was President Jefferson's secretary- aide during his presidency. On October 20, 1803, Jefferson purchased 828,000 square miles of Louisiana territory from the French for $15 million dollars. Which means that each acre only cost $0.04. Lewis was picked to be the commander of expedition, when he was chosen he wrote to William Clark and asked him if he would accompany him on his journey and share command. Clark accepted his offer. The men then had the announcement of the Louisiana Purchase. Their objectives were to find the Northwest Passage, record the flora and fauna of the west, map the territory and bring peace to the land by trading with the Indians. Lewis and Clark were also to create and keep journal entries of what they found and saw. They also brought back specimens they found during the expedition. The Louisiana Purchase changed the nation greatly, it almost doubled the size of the U.S.
The Northwest Passage is a sea route along the Arctic Ocean and it connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Lewis and Clark set out on a journey to explore it. The Northwest Passage was also apart of the Louisiana Purchase. They found much more information on what was there, who lived there, and what it was overall.