Lewis and Clark Expedition

After the Louisianna Purchase of 1803, President Thomas Jefferson planned an expedition to explore the new territory. He picked his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition. Lewis picked William Lewis, his second lieutenant as his co-leader. The trip began on May 18, 1804 in St Louis, Missouri and returned in September, 1806 after a perilous journey of about 8,000 miles. The journey was a huge success and opened up the western half of the continent to settlers. The stamp, issued on July 28, 1954, commemorates the 150th anniversary of the expedition.