The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 sparked interest in expansion to the west coast. The United States did not know precisely what it was buying and France was unsure of how much land it was actually selling. A few weeks after the purchase, President Thomas Jefferson, an advocate of western expansion, had Congress appropriate $2,500 for an expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition (18041806) was the first overland expedition undertaken by the United States to the Pacific coast and back. The expedition team was headed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and assisted by Sacajawea. The expedition's goal was to gain an accurate sense of the resources being exchanged in the Louisiana Purchase. The expedition laid much of the groundwork for the westward expansion of the United States. Thanks to the Westward Journey Nickel Series, America's nickel changed for the first time in 66 years, in 2004! Jefferson had a medal made as a token of peace, which we call his "Peace Medal." The explorers were to give the medals as gifts to the Native American chiefs they met as a sign of peace. The design that was used on Jefferson's Peace Medal was used on the first of the new nickels, the Peace Medal Nickel. The second nickel of 2004 showed the keelboat that was part of the transportation for Lewis and Clark's expedition. In this Keelboat Nickel design, captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are standing on deck at the start of their famous trip. The first new 2005 design on the nickel's reverse (back) features the American bison, also called a buffalo. This animal used to roam the plains in such great numbers that the animal was noted often by Lewis and Clark in their journals. The second reverse design shows a view of the Pacific Ocean, the goal that the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached after more than a year of hard travel. The scene surrounds a quote written by Captain Clark: "Ocean in view! O! The joy!" The Set is rounded out by the Sacagwea Golden dollar in honor of her Guiding the team and the Jefferson 1976 $2 Bill and Golden Dollar in honor of Him and is direction in setting up the expedition. |