Meriwether Lewis, born 1774, is a minor but tragic protagonist in the novel. Very little biographical data are offered about Lewis' life. For a brief period of time he performed military service under the command of William Clark—during which time the two men became close friends. Lewis works as a secretary to President Thomas Jefferson and, under the Jefferson's tutelage, becomes something of a scientist, explorer, botanist, zoologist, and linguist. Jefferson grooms Lewis to lead the great exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and then commissions Lewis to travel to the Pacific Northwest, establish peace with the warring Indian tribes, scout out passages and trails, and—in essence—claim the territory for the United States of America.
