Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774, in Albemarle County, Virginia and grew up in Virginia and Georgia as a part of the "Southern Planter Aristocracy." Lewis showed off his brain in history and proved to be a keen observer of the natural world, which was very helpful during his expedition with William Clark. In 1794, Lewis joined the Virginia militia during the "Whiskey Rebellion." Lewis in 1795 became a junior officer, and then moved to the U.S. Army. He spent time with William Clark who was also in the army.

Meriwether Lewis life took on a different path in 1801 when President Thomas Jefferson selected him to be his personal secretary. By December 1802, Lewis was starting to prepare for the expedition. William Clark was born on August 1, 1770 in Caroline County, Virginia. Fourteen years later, the Clark family moved to the Kentucky frontier, establishing Mulberry Hill, their plantation near present-day Louisville...