Explorers Search for River Sources
In 1804 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark searched for the source of the Missouri River while Zebulon Pike searched for the source of the Mississippi River.
Transcript
The United States Government sent various expeditions into the new land. The Missouri River, destined to be the future Iowa western border, was explored by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant Clark. They sought the source of the Missouri River. Lieutenant Zebulon Pike was sent to discover the source of the Mississippi River, traveling along the future Iowa’s eastern border as he charted the river’s course. But to some the land was not such a mystery. The white fur traders had been trading with the Indians long before any of these explorations.
Pathways
What is your Iowa pathway? Start your investigation by selecting a topic from the list above.
Media Artifacts
Navigation Tip:
Before digging in, check out how the page is organized. What are the main navigation buttons? What stays the same on every page?