Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were American explorers. They mapped a route through the frontier to the Pacific Ocean. Clark was born in 1770 in Virginia and Lewis was born in 1774 in Virginia.
Lewis was trained to run his family's land. At age 20 lewis joined the army and served on the frontier. Clark grew up on the Ohio and Kentucky frontier. He served as an officer under Lewis in the army.
President Thomas Jefferson asked Lewis to explore the West. He wanted to find a Northwest Passage. While Lewis planned the expedition, he asked Clark to help him out. They set out from Missouri in May 1804.