Description:

Meriwether Lewis Arrives in Washington, Closing the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Although Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their Corps of Discovery reached St. Louis, Missouri on September 23, 1806, they did not arrive in Washington, D.C. to make their report to President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of War Henry Dearborn until December and January. This newspaper marks the arrival of Lewis in Washington and makes a racist reference to Native Americans he brought with him, including Mandan Chief Big White or Sheheke-shote (translated as White Coyote) and his wife and son.

[LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION.] The Balance, and Columbian Repository, January 13, 1807. Hudson, New York: Harry Croswell. 8 pp. (9-16), 9.25" x 11.5". Disbound; general toning throughout; some light foxing; small hole in first two leaves; tight trimming on first page, affecting two lines of text.

Excerpt
"A Philadelphia paper states that 'Capt. Lewis and the squaws of his party have arrived at Washington.'" (p3/c3)

Historical Background
Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774-1809), William Clark (1770-1838), and the volunteers of the Corps of Discovery left St. Louis in mid-May 1804 to travel up the Missouri River. By October, they reached the villages of the Mandans and Hidatsa in modern North Dakota. There, they constructed Fort Mandan for shelter during the winter of 1804 to 1805. The winter was very cold, with temperatures reaching -45° F, but the fort provided the explorers some protection. It was at Fort Mandan that Lewis and Clark first met Sacagawea, the Northern Shoshone woman who thereafter served as a guide and interpreter for the expedition.

On April 7, 1805, the main body of the Corps of Discovery left Fort Mandan to proceed further up the Missouri River, but they sent a small party led by Corporal Richard Warfington in the keelboat down river to St. Louis with samples and dispatches for President Jefferson. When they reached St. Louis on May 20, news from the expedition spread across the nation.

After reaching the Pacific Ocean in November 1805, the Corps spent the winter at Fort Clatsop near the mouth of the Columbia River. The Corps left Fort Clatsop for the return trip in March 1806 and reached St. Louis in September, concluding their 28-month journey of nearly 8,000 miles. In the process of their journey, the Corps asserted sovereignty over the newly acquired territory for the United States and learned much about the geography, topography, and natural resources of the vast area through which they traveled. They also established diplomatic relations and trade with two dozen Native American tribes.

The arrival of Lewis in Washington, D.C. on December 28, 1806, marked the official close of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A public dinner in Lewis's honor was held at the White House on January 10, 1807, but because Clark did not arrive until January 21, the honorees were Lewis and Mandan Chief Big White (1766-1812).

The Balance, and Columbian Repository (1801-1807) was established in May 1801 in Hudson, New York, thirty miles south of Albany on the Hudson River, by Ezra Sampson (1749-1823), George Chittenden (1776-1845), and Harry Croswell (1778-1858). In January 1804, Croswell became the sole owner and continued publishing the newspaper until December 1807. It was succeeded by The Balance in 1808 and The Balance, and New-York State Journal from Albany in 1809 and 1810. While editing the more moderate Federalist newspaper The Balance, and Columbian Repository, Croswell also simultaneously founded in 1802 and edited the extremely partisan Federalist newspaper The Wasp under the editorial pseudonym of "Robert Rusticoat." Croswell was convicted in 1803 of libeling President Thomas Jefferson in The Wasp. He appealed to the New York Supreme Court of Judicature, and Alexander Hamilton represented Croswell in the appeal, arguing that the freedom of the press consisted in the right to print the truth, even if it reflected on "the government, magistracy, or individuals." Although the Supreme Court narrowly sustained the conviction by refusing a new trial in a 2-2 decision, the New York legislature incorporated Hamilton's position into law in 1805 and it became part of the New York state constitution adopted in 1821. After Croswell's newspaper failed in Albany, he was jailed for debt. He then entered the ministry and was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1814. He served as rector of Trinity Church in New Haven, Connecticut from 1815 until his death.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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