Lewis and Clark Across the Ages: Remembering the Legacy of the Corps of Discovery in U.S. History
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Date
2015-05-18Author
Reed, Lisa M.
Advisor(s)
Oberly, James Warren, 1954-
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This paper will explore the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and how they have been viewed through the years since their return. Specifically, it will look at the lack of celebration upon the Expedition's return in 1806, and how its popularity faded then returned numerous times up through the bicentennial in the early twenty first century. In 1806, Lewis and Clark were widely forgotten until the publication of their journals telling their story was made accessible to the public. They soon faded again from the limelight until the late nineteenth century when the centennial of their return came around, although not for reasons we might expect. They soon faded again until celebrations of the sesquicentennial in the 1950s, and their popularity since then has not diminished. The commemoration of the bicentennial was perhaps the most all-encompassing of the accomplishments that the Expedition had made, and focused more on Native Americans and the environment than ever before. This paper examines why the memory of Lewis and Clark changed throughout history, and what that says about the people and society doing the remembering.
Subject
Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)--Centennial celebrations, etc.
Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)