Question

Compare and contrast the exploration made by Lewis and Clark with Pike’s, and tell why the Lewis and Clark journey was considered more valuable. Include the material each exploration team brought back, the territory covered, the people they met, and the amount of information each contributed. You may put your information in a compare/contrast chart or you may submit your information in written form.

Answer 1

I'm not so familiar with Pike, but I can tell you all you want to know about Lewis and Clark. When Napoleon needed money, he sold Jefferson the Louisiana Purchase, which he had acquired when he conquered Spain (the Spanish were not amused). To find out what he'd just purchased, Jefferson sent Merriweather Lewis and William Clark (the brother of George Rogers Clark) to explore it. It covered an area from Louisiana northward to Missouri and across the biggest part of the Great Plains and Northwest. The team which went with them included such diverse people as Sacajawea, a Shosone Indian and her baby (nicknamed "Pompey" by Lewis), Lewis's slave, French trappers, woodsmen, and other interpreters. Lewis concentrated on cataloging what they found, such as the various Native American tribes, animals, and plants, and mapping the region, while Clark was the woodsman who led the expedition. They went through many hardships, though miraculously only one member of the expedition died over the several years they were gone. At one point they were starving in the Rocky Mountains--there was not enough fat on the deer they shot to keep them alive. They found an Indian tribe to barter with, but the chief refused to deal with them until Sacajawea walked in--she was his sister, who had been kidnapped from the tribe at the age of 5! Needless to say, they got their food. They made it to the Pacific Ocean, where they then split into two groups, one of which took a more southerly route back.
Source:
There are a myriad of books out there, including "From Sea to Shining Sea" and "Sacajawea," both of which are great.

Answer 2

Thank you so much!