On May 14,1804 what would later be known as the Corp of Discovery set out on one of the greatest exploration expeditions of all time . This motley crew of 48 men, one woman and a dog by the name of Seaman would be led by 2 former Army buddies. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This association would arguably become the best known partnership ever to have been formed.

The seeds of what Steven Ambrose referred to as "the greatest camping trip of all time" had been germinating in the mind of President Thomas Jefferson for some time. There were numerous motives that led Jefferson to commission the expedition, but none more compelling than the desire to find an all water route to the Pacific Ocean.

In January 1803 Jefferson lit the fuse of American exploration by secretly asking congress for $2500.00 for the purpose of exploring the North American continent. A few months...