America 250: From Independence to Discovery
Follow the Story from 1776 to the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Declaration of Independence

📍 Location: National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
🟢 FREE |
What to do & see:

• View the original Declaration that launched a new nation.

Why it matters to Lewis & Clark:

• Without independence, there is no American-led exploration of the West—this document made the expedition possible.
   

U.S. Constitution · Bill of Rights · Louisiana Purchase

📍 Location: National Archives Museum, Washington, DC
🟢 FREE |
What to do & see:

• View the original U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, cornerstone documents that established the structure of the federal government, protected individual liberties, and defined the balance of power between the states and the nation. Exhibits also interpret the Louisiana Purchase, explaining how this landmark 1803 treaty doubled the size of the United States and transformed the country’s future. Together, these documents reveal how law, diplomacy, and vision shaped America’s expansion and democratic ideals.

Why it matters to Lewis & Clark:

• These founding documents established the legal au​thority for westward expansion. The Constitution empowered the presidency to negotiate treaties and fund exploration, while the Louisiana Purchase doubled the nation’s size. Together, they made the Lewis and Clark Expedition possible.

• The U.S. Constitution made the expedition possible by granting the federal government authority to negotiate treaties, appropriate funds, and empower the president to commission exploration.

• The Bill of Rights reflected the young nation’s commitment to liberty even as it expanded westward.

• The Louisiana Purchase created the urgent need to explore and understand the vast new territory—prompting President Jefferson to send Lewis and Clark west to map the land, assess resources, and strengthen U.S. claims across the continent.

​