White House Marks 222nd Anniversary of Lewis and Clark Expedition

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2026 — President Trump released a statement today marking the 222nd anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the 1804 journey that opened the American West to U.S. exploration and settlement.

The expedition began on May 14, 1804, when Meriwether Lewis, William Clark and their Corps of Discovery left St. Louis under instructions from President Thomas Jefferson. The party of roughly 40 men, one woman and one infant traveled more than 8,000 miles across uncharted terrain to the Pacific Ocean and back by 1806.

The journey produced maps, scientific observations and diplomatic contacts with more than 70 Native American tribes.

The presidential message identifies the expedition as the event that tested the limits of human endurance and permanently altered the destiny of the nation. It positions the Corps of Discovery as American pioneers whose success doubled the size of the United States through the Louisiana Purchase territory and laid the foundation for westward expansion to the Pacific.

The statement arrives as part of the America 250 initiative, the federal effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The White House release carries no statutory authority or binding effect; it functions as an official record of the administration’s historical framing.

Downstream, the message triggers no regulatory deadlines or appropriations. It supplies official language that federal agencies, the National Park Service and state commissions organizing America 250 events can cite in programming, educational materials and public exhibits scheduled through July 4, 2026.

Congress has separately appropriated funds for America 250 activities; the National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services have issued grants supporting related historical projects.

This anniversary statement follows a series of America 250 presidential messages issued throughout 2025 and 2026 on topics including the Boston Tea Party, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Lewis and Clark release continues the administration’s pattern of highlighting exploratory and expansionist episodes in early U.S. history.