They <span>patterned their mission on the methods of Enlightenment science: to observe, collect, document, and classify. Such strategies were already in place for the epic voyages made by explorers like Cook and Vancouver. Like their contemporaries, Lewis and Clark were more than representatives of European rationalism. They also represented a rising American empire, one built on aggressive territorial expansion and commercial gain.
The information found by Lewis and Clark showed many new places to settle, what the new land was like, and what could be accomplished in those areas. They found more land to farm and build homes. They also found some of the major rivers and landmarks of today.
