What was the main goal of the Lewis and Clark expedition?

The main goal of the Lewis and Clark expedition was to explore the Louisiana Purchase. This land acquisition, completed in 1803, doubled the size of the United States and raised many questions about the geography, resources, and inhabitants of the newly acquired territory. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map the land, document the plants and animals, and establish an American presence before European powers could stake their claims.

While finding a Northwest Passage was a motivation during the expedition, it turned out that no such route existed, and this goal was secondary to the primary objective of exploring and mapping the territory. Building relationships with Native Americans was also one of the goals, but it was part of the broader aim of understanding the land and its inhabitants rather than a standalone objective. Establishing trade routes was important, but it was more of a subsequent benefit of the exploration rather than the main goal of the expedition. Thus, the focus on exploring the Louisiana Purchase captures the essence of what the expedition set out to accomplish.