Meriwether Lewis August 18, — October 11, was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition , also known as the Corps of Discovery , with William Clark. Their mission was to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase , establish trade with, and sovereignty over the natives near the Missouri River , and claim the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Country for the United States before European nations.
They also collected scientific data and information on indigenous nations. After his father died of pneumonia in November , he moved with his mother and stepfather Captain John Marks to Georgia.
He was also the great-great-grandson of David Crawford , a prominent Virginia Burgess and militia colonel. Lewis had no formal education until he was 13 years old, but during his time in Georgia, he enhanced his skills as a hunter and outdoorsman.
He would often venture out in the middle of the night in the dead of winter with only his dog to go hunting. Even at an early age, he was interested in natural history, which would develop into a lifelong passion. His mother taught him how to gather wild herbs for medicinal purposes. This was the traditional territory of the Cherokee , who resented encroachment by the colonists. Lewis seems to have been a champion for them among his own people.
While in Georgia, he met Eric Parker, who encouraged him to travel. At age 13, Lewis was sent back to Virginia for education by private tutors. His father's older brother Nicholas Lewis became his guardian. He joined the Virginia militia , and in he was sent as part of a detachment that was involved in putting down the Whiskey Rebellion.
