LEWIS & CLARK BICENTENNIAL TRAVELING EXHIBIT

Corps of Discovery II: 200 Years to the Future

In 2003-2006 the nation commemorates an important bicentennial. Envisioned by President Thomas Jefferson, and led by captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Corps of Volunteers for Northwest Discovery explored a new country. Traveling river routes from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, their journals evoke the hardships overcome, and the flora, fauna, and native peoples they encountered from 1803 to 1806.

In cooperation with federal agencies and Indian tribal partners, the National Park Service is coordinating a national touring exhibition in conjunction with the bicentennial of the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Corps of Discovery II: 200 Years to the Future will visit communities and Indian reservations from January 2003 to October 2006. The free public exhibition will complement local and national bicentennial observances in communities large and small.

Corps II will parallel the route of the historic Corps of Discovery, from its preparation phase in the East, to its culmination on the Pacific coast and return to St. Louis, across 19 states. It will introduce visitors to the Lewis and Clark story, exploring themes relating to the nation’s natural and cultural heritage, and the stories of its people before, during and after the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. Corps II scheduling is arranged in cooperation with the respective state Lewis and Clark bicentennial advisory committees.

Corps II consists of two exhibit tents and a performance tent entitled the Tent of Many Voices. Seating 150, the Tent of Many Voices will be the public venue for live demonstrations, lectures, cultural presentations, and audiovisual programs. Presenters will involve Indian tribes, state governments, agencies, and the private sector. A strong educational emphasis is included, from school visits to filming of heritage programs in the Tent of Many Voices, whose footage will be edited and made available via the Internet in cooperation with the Peter Kiewit Institute of Omaha, Nebraska.

Corps of Discovery II traveling exhibit at the Monticello Visitor Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, January 17, 2003.

RELATED LINKS:

Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail

Corps of Discovery II is comprised of two exhibit tents (right) and a large performance tent (left) called the Tent of Many Voices.

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