Lead the way!

fter Congress approved Jefferson's plan to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory in February of 1803, he appointed his secretary Meriwether Lewis to lead the new exploring party, known as the "Corps of Discovery."

In a journey begun with commercial and political ambitions, as well as scientific discovery, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark became the first Americans to chart the vastness of the West, see the Rocky Mountains and reach the Pacific by land.

In the careful journals that they were duty-bound to keep during the journey, they not only conveyed a sense of awe, they explained critical decisions such as how they chose members of the expedition, negotiated forks in the path and picked a winter camp.

In the pages that follow, you can pick your way through Lewis and Clark's historic steps.

You'll face six major decisions that affected the outcome of the expedition. Choose the right answers and you'll reach the end of the trail where you can register for a prize. (Congratulations to our previous participants who registered and won Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery, the companion book to Ken Burns' documentary.)

Ready to start? Click here to go west -- to Step 1.