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Meriwether Lewis was born to privilege, but the unadventurous life of a Virginia planter never resonated with the young Lewis, who longed to be outdoors exploring. More than 6 feet tall, with a lean frame and fine, delicate features, Lewis was a complicated figure. He was independent and fiercely loyal, but he also was moody and melancholy.
As a child, Lewis rarely saw his father, William, who fought in the Revolutionary War and died from pneumonia when Lewis was 5. A short time later, his mother, Lucy Meriwether Lewis, married Capt. John Marks. Marks relocated the family to Northeastern Georgia, where the young Lewis got his first, real taste of the great outdoors. He honed his wilderness skills and developed a love of the natural world.
He returned to Virginia at 13 for schooling and inherited his father's 2,000-acre estate. When Lewis was 18, his mother, again widowed, moved back. The young Lewis threw himself into managing the family’s farm but quickly became bored.
In 1794, at 20, he enlisted as a private in the Virginia Volunteer Corps during the Whiskey Rebellion. He loved it so much that the next year he joined the regular U.S. Army, where he met Clark. The two developed a deep respect for each other. Lewis continued to work for the military until 1801 when the newly-elected President Jefferson, a family friend, neighbor and previous mentor, asked Lewis to be his personal secretary — an offer that flattered and filled him with joy.
Lewis’ time in the White House was transformative. The bachelor Jefferson hosted many dinners with leading academics and businessmen, and Lewis always was there. His knowledge grew, as did his scope of influence. When Jefferson finally received the approval of Congress to send explorers West, something he’d dreamt of for nearly a decade, Lewis was his first and only choice. His belief in his protégé was unwavering. As plans were made, Jefferson tutored Lewis each night and sent him to Philadelphia to meet with the leading academics in botany, medicine and navigation.
Jefferson and Lewis spent many late nights talking about the expedition — how many people should go, what they would need and what they should learn about along the way. At some point, it became clear that the mission needed a second officer. There simply was too much that needed to be recorded and studied. Lewis called on the man he most-respected: Clark. The rest, as they say, is history. The two men ventured West together, apparently always in support of each other. It was a rare partnership.
When the Corps of Discovery returned, their accomplishment was celebrated and heralded across the land, including Washington, D.C., where leaders hosted a ball for the two men. Lewis quickly went to work on the politicians, building support for a bill that would bestow additional pay and land grants for most of his men. He succeeded. In the bill, Lewis was granted double pay and 1,600 acres of land for his service.
President Jefferson also appointed him governor of the Louisiana Territory, a land that was awash with speculators and Native Americans, anxious about coming changes. It was an assignment that proved very challenging for Lewis. He fought with local leaders and didn’t communicate with his superiors in Washington. After several failed attempts at marriage, he started drinking more.
On a trip to Washington to argue a decision before a government bureaucrat, Lewis died mysteriously from two bullet wounds at a road house along the Natchez Trace trail, west of Nashville, Tenn. Exactly what happened continues to be debated among scholars. Most historians say he killed himself. Others, including Lewis’ family, say he was murdered by his rivals. Local legend places blame with the tavern’s owner. There are whispers of Lewis’ depression and rumors of alcoholism or opium addiction. Whatever the cause, the death of the young hero at 35 undoubtedly was hard for the nation to accept.
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