As you can easily deduce from the title of the book above, the book I read was about the main topic of the historic journey, westward across our country, undertaken from the explorers Lewis and Clark and the remaining unit known as the Corps of Discovery. This book was full of facts about this exploration derived, predominantly, from what was reported in the travel journals diligently preserved by both Lewis and Clark. There was also additional information provided in this book. This additional information had been obtained from documented correspondence; letters sent by Lewis to President Thomas Jefferson, and also to his mother, during travels. The book provides a brief bibliography of Meriwether Lewis providing details regarding his family life, education, military service. The Lewis family came from a region known as the Central Piedmont in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson also lived there and knew the Lewis family before his presidency. Meriwether Lewis served in the United States Army and became a captain at the very young age of 26. He then accepted the newly elected President Jefferson's offer to become his secretary. When the Louisiana Purchase occurred, President Jefferson wanted Lewis to lead the exploration and report detailed information about the boundaries and geographic conditions of the purchased land. He also wanted specific details regarding the people, animals, and plants that resided on this land. According to Lewis's journals, one of the most important accomplishments of the voyage would be the identification and plotting of an all-water route across the land to the Pacific Ocean. The intended objectives motivating the achievement of this task were the targeted objectives of trade facilitation...... middle of paper ......d Lewis as governor of St. Louis but instead assisted him in publishing the newspapers that committed suicide could have been avoided. Before reading this book I did not know about Lewis' family history of depression and his similar mental problems. If it is true that Lewis periodically had problems with excessive alcohol use and perhaps abused drugs such as opium and morphine, used to combat the symptoms of malaria, this could explain his depressive state. His depression may also have been more severe due to factors such as not having a wife, a lack of desire for adventure once he finished his exploration, or he may have felt as if nothing could ever surpass the height of success achieved at his return from exploration. Works Cited Ambrose, Stephen E. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1996