Question

Why did President Jefferson hire Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?

-to open the port of New Orleans
-to explore the Louisiana Territory
-to acquire Oregon Country
-to purchase Florida from Spain

Answer 1

to explore Louisiana territory that had not yet been explored after its purchase

Answer 2

President Jefferson hired Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson immediately after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. It was composed of a select group of volunteer officers of the United States Army under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his friend, Second Lieutenant William Clark. Their dangerous journey lasted from May 1804 to September 1806. The main objective was to explore and map the newly acquired territory, open a safe route through the western half of the continent and establish American presence in the extensive area before Great Britain or other European powers did it.