Primary sourceDocument18 January 1803

Jefferson's Secret Message to Congress Regarding the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Thomas Jefferson · 18 January 1803

A confidential 1803 message in which President Jefferson asked Congress for funds to explore the West, leading to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Jefferson wrote and sent this confidential request, revealing his ambitions behind the Lewis and Clark expedition.

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Handwritten manuscript page headed 'Confidential' and 'Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representatives', written in brown ink on aged paper, discussing trading houses with Indian tribes and federal policy. — Thomas Jefferson, Confidential Message to Congress Concerning Relations with the Indians, 1803. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

About this source

What it is

This is a confidential message that President Thomas Jefferson sent to Congress on January 18, 1803, requesting $2,500 to fund an expedition to explore the West, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. It is held by the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

At the time, the territory did not belong to the United States, yet Jefferson believed the nation should stretch across the continent. The small sum he requested, framed around trade, hid larger ambitions. Congress approved funding for the expedition that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark would lead, instructed to find trade routes, build relations with Native American tribes, and study the land's geography and nature.

Look closer

Why do you think Jefferson kept this message "confidential" rather than public?
What does the request reveal about Jefferson's real goals versus what he told Congress?
What does the message's focus on trade and science leave out about the impact on Native American tribes?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Thomas Jefferson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.