History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clarke

This two-volume set was published as part of Harper and Brothers' popular "Family Library" series. This 1845 edition utilizes the authoritative text originally prepared for the press by Paul Allen in 1814, but streamlines it through the expert editorial work of Archibald M’Vickar. M’Vickar meticulously abridged the text by omitting repetitive nautical logs and minor logistical details while enriching the core narrative with extensive scholarly footnotes, an informative geographical introduction, and an overview of subsequent western developments. By packaging the monumental, often cost-prohibitive 1814 accounts into a compact, affordable, and highly readable pocket-sized format, Harper and Brothers successfully democratized the epic saga of American western exploration for a burgeoning class of mid-century readers hungry for stories of the frontier.

Captains Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) and William Clark (1770–1838) were the legendary leaders of this state-sponsored expedition, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson following the historic Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Tasked with discovering a direct water route across the continent for commerce—the mythical Northwest Passage—the two seasoned soldiers co-commanded a diverse 29-man party through more than 12,000 kilometers of uncharted, hostile wilderness. Over a grueling 28-month odyssey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, Lewis, the introspective naturalist, collected crucial data documenting 178 new plant and 122 new animal species. Meanwhile, Clark, the pragmatic cartographer and engineer, managed the expedition’s tactical survival, river navigation, and diplomatic relations with dozens of Native American tribes, cementing their combined legacies as the preeminent architects of early American geographical science.

The visual crowning achievement of this 1845 Harper printing is the integration of its detailed cartographic plates and folding maps, which trace the exact path forged by the explorers. Anchored by a prominent folding map frontispiece titled "Map of Lewis and Clark's Track Across the Western Portion of North America," the book reproduces the revolutionary cartographic data originally sketched by William Clark in the field. These maps permanently shattered centuries of geographical myths by illustrating the true, massive scale of the Rocky Mountains, the precise networks of the Missouri and Columbia River systems, and the definitive layout of the Pacific Northwest coast. Printed as crisp, clean engravings designed to fold out neatly from the text blocks, these maps allowed readers to actively track the party's perilous portages, fort locations, and indigenous encounters, transforming the text from a simple travel diary into a highly tactile, interactive masterclass in early American cartography.

Brown cloth bound volumes with red and black leather labels to spine with gilt lettering. Foxing throughout. Some pencil markings on final flyleaf of volume one and ink marking to second to last flyleaf of volume two. A couple words inscribed in ink to title page. Some loss to frontispiece map but many maps throughout fully intact. “JTO” to fore edge on volume two. Rebound within the last fifty years. Fully intact. Very good condition.