LEWIS AND CLARK AND THE MYTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN DESTINY

Willie Hiatt via Zoom

A year after the Louisiana Purchase, President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on an exploratory mission that soon helped define the mythology of American expansionism. The purpose of the Corps of Discovery was both scientific and commercial: not only did it seek to study plants, animals, and geography but also how to exploit the region economically. This lecture provides an overview of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the silences and contradictions within their journals, and how history has appropriated their odyssey as a fundamental justification of American destiny.

[A Zoom link will be sent to you prior to each session, typically on the day before your class and the morning of your class.  If you have any questions or need help getting online, feel free to call us at 516-480-5733 and we’ll get right back to you with assistance.]