Research Database
Explore treaties, primary documents, historical artwork, weapons, key figures, and immersive 360° trail panoramas from the Corps of Discovery expedition.
Inside the database
Eleven collections, primary sources from six expedition narrators, contemporary research, and 4,300 miles of trail in 360°. Pick a thread and start pulling.
The Lewis and Clark Research Database brings the national scope of the Lewis and Clark Story and Expedition into full view, a nexus of history and geography.
Through the compilation of print and digital resources, the first United States military exploration of the American West is presented in chronological order. Planning, equipping, escorting Sovereign Nation Tribal Chiefs, reporting to President Jefferson, and the Lewis and Clark Journal printing are all in the fabric of the Lewis and Clark Story. The referenced sources explain how the labors of the men and women of the Expedition are still guide posts for all people and ages.
The theoretical Northwest Passage and foreign financial rivalry was never far from Thomas Jefferson's mind. The first successful military exploration of the West by Lewis and Clark is clearly founded in planning, preparation, and recruitment of people with the "right stuff." The exploration included recording the findings and experiences as outlined in President Jefferson's Instructions to Meriwether Lewis.
This research database is the product of a sustained collaboration between historians, the National Park Service, dedicated interns, and professional researchers. Together, we have worked to compile, digitize, and cross-reference thousands of primary sources — journal entries, treaties, maps, artwork, and more — into a single searchable archive, making this unparalleled chapter of American history accessible to researchers, educators, and the public.
No human has ever read every journal in cross-reference.
An AI just did.
For every date with two or more expedition narrators writing, this database produces a side-by-side analysis comparing what each preserved. Every claim cites a specific journal entry. Every analysis is reviewed before publication. The result is a research layer no single-narrator reading can produce.
The Silence of Meriwether Lewis: What Clark and the Sergeants Preserved, August 1805–January 1806
For roughly 135 days spanning the Bitterroot crossing, the descent of the Columbia, and the founding of Fort Clatsop, Meriwether Lewis put down his pen. The…
Diet Across the Expedition: A Seasonal Analysis
From buffalo feasts on the northern plains to dog meat purchased on the Columbia and elk steaks rationed at Fort Clatsop, the Corps of Discovery's diet…
Sacagawea: The Shoshone Interpreter of the Corps of Discovery
From her recruitment at Fort Mandan in November 1804 to her family's farewell at the Mandan villages in August 1806, Sacagawea — the young Shoshone wife…
Cameahwait: The Shoshone Chief Who Saved the Expedition
Brother to Sacagawea and chief of the Lemhi Shoshone, Cameahwait provided the horses and guidance without which the Corps of Discovery could not have crossed the…
First Rain Since October: Launching the Craft at Fort Mandan
On the eve of departure from Fort Mandan, three narrators record the same launching of boats into the Missouri — yet only Clark grasps the meteorological…
Burying the Iron Boat, Felling Hollow Cottonwoods
On a windy July day at the Great Falls portage, the expedition splits in two: Lewis interring his failed iron-frame boat while Clark hunts upriver for…
Elk Meat, Wapato Roots, and a Name Carved in Pine
On a windy December day at the future site of Fort Clatsop, Patrick Gass and William Clark record overlapping events with strikingly different emphases — Gass…
A Lost Note, a Wrong Fork, and a Canoe That Nearly Killed Whitehouse
Five narrators record the same costly day at the Jefferson forks: a beaver-felled message pole, a wrong turn up the Big Hole, three swamped canoes, and…
What is the trail actually worth?
An independent study put a number on it.
Commissioned by the National Park Service and the Lewis and Clark Trust, this study documented the economic impact of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail across five surveyed sites — using on-site visitor surveys, mobility data, and IMPLAN modeling to derive direct, indirect, and induced effects.
Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
Explore 4,300 miles across 16 states with interactive 360° panoramic views of the historic route.
Pick a thread — follow it back to its source.
A random pull from across the database: an analysis, a painting, a wildlife encounter, a river feature, a tribal voice. Each card links straight to the primary record.
Artwork
Heacock Writing
Research Article
Tent of Many Voices
River Feature
Cross-Narrator Analysis
A Digital Archive for the Corps of Discovery
The Lewis and Clark Research Database is a comprehensive digital archive preserving the historical legacy of the Corps of Discovery expedition. Our collection includes original treaties, translations, scholarly research, primary documents, period artwork, and expedition weapons — all searchable and cross-referenced for researchers, educators, and students.
Integrated with Terrain360's immersive trail mapping technology, this database connects historical events to the physical landscape through over 1 million panoramic images spanning 4,300 miles of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail across 16 states.
Read the Story
