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AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY: THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF MERIWETHER LEWIS

THEME
The untimely and mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis never ceases to pique the curiosity of the American public. Thousands of words have been written on the subject with arguments falling into two camps—murder or suicide. In spite of strongly held opinions on both sides of the question, no one today knows exactly what happened.

In this unit, Students (1) research the circumstances of Meriwether Lewis' death and make up their own minds about the passing of this famous American explorer, and (2) compare how Lewis' death would be handled today by a crime scene investigation team.

GOALS

• To promote critical thinking by examining evidence and analyzing the testimony of witnesses.
• To investigate and evaluate the arguments of prominent scholars on the cause of Meriwether Lewis' death.
• To survey the field of forensic science and to explore career opportunities in various forensic sciences.
• To provide experience in conducting research, organizing information, and presenting information effectively.

OBJECTIVES:
When the unit is completed, students will be able to:

• Briefly state the premises of suicide theorists, murder theorists, and conspiracy theorists in regard to the death of Meriwether Lewis.
• State their own opinions as to the cause of Meriwether Lewis' death and give reasons for their decisions.
• Define forensic science and list five types of forensic sciences currently allowed as evidence in American courts.

ACTIVITY 1: WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF EXPLORER
MERIWETHER LEWIS' DEATH?

ADVANCE PREPARATION

1. Preview the CASEBOOK. (Click on capitalized titles for immediate access.) Review the Internet sites at the end of the casebook to be sure they are suitable for your class.
2. Download the casebook and make a copy for each student. (Because the casebook is long, teachers may want to make limited copies to share. However, be sure that each student gets a copy of the bibliography to assist in research.)
3. Download the CASEBOOK WORKSHEET and make a copy for each student.

IMPLEMENTATION

1. Hand out copies of the Casebook, The Unsolved Death of Meriwether Lewis; require each student to read it, and then make his or her decision about the cause of Lewis' death.
2. Divide the class into groups according to their decisions. Hand out Casebook Worksheets and go over the instructions with students. Allow group members to divide the work among themselves.

PRESENTATION

1. Upon completion of the research, each group orally presents its arguments to the rest of the class. Have a representative from each group draw a number to determine the order of presentation. Encourage students to present their finding in a persuasive manner, as if they were speaking to a jury in a courtroom. If they choose, let them use props to help make their cases.
2. After hearing all the presentations, some students may want to change their original decision. Allow students who have changed their decisions to join their "new" groups. The group that is able to persuade the most students to its own way of thinking receives the "Dynamic Debater Award."

ACTIVITY 2: CRIME SCENE ANALYSIS:
FORENSIC SCIENCE INVESTIGATION

Crime is as old as mankind, and crime detection and the punishment of offenders probably followed hard on the heels of the first crime ever committed. However, it is only during the last two or three centuries that crime detection has evolved into an academic discipline called forensic science. In this activity, students conduct research about certain forensic procedures and how they might have been used to advantage in the investigation of Meriwether Lewis' death.

ADVANCE PREPARATION

1. Preview the CASEBOOK, The Unsolved Death of Meriwether Lewis. (Click on capitalized title for immediate access.) Review the suggested Internet sites at the end of the casebook to be sure they are suitable for your class.
2. Download the Casebook and make a copy for each student. (Because the casebook is long, teachers may want to make limited copies to share. However, be sure that each student gets a copy of the bibliography to assist in research.)
3. Download FORENSIC SCIENCE worksheets, and make a copy for each student.
4. Download FORENSIC SCIENCE LIST (1 sheet) and cut topics apart.
5. Invite a member of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency or crime lab to speak to the class about how a criminal investigation should be conducted for best results. Send a copy of the casebook to the speaker beforehand so he or she will be able to answer students' questions that pertain to the death of Meriwether Lewis.

IMPLEMENTATION/PRESENTATION

1. Divide the class into small groups to research forensic science topics. Teachers may assign the topics, let students select their own, or have them draw a topic out of a bag sight unseen.
2. Hand out the Forensic Science Worksheets and go over the instructions with the class. Allow group members to divide the research questions on the worksheets among themselves.
3. After all tasks are completed, convene the class for group presentations. Invite other classes and teachers to the presentation.

CONCLUSION
Although detectives of the past did not have today's advanced crime detection equipment to work with, many crimes were solved by the application of common sense. That part hasn't changed much. Detectives still must know what to look for and how to assemble the pieces once they find it. It was, and still is, the human mind, that must make the vital connections—whether by a slow process of thought or a sudden flash of insight when all the pieces suddenly click together.

Unfortunately, that never happened for Meriwether Lewis. For two hundred years, many people have tried to make the circumstances of his death fit into a neat pattern, but the evidence is elusive and the trail has grown cold. Perhaps it is time to do as the former superintendent of the Natchez Trace Parkway recently wrote, " . . . let us celebrate [Lewis'] life and great accomplishments and let the mystery remain." (See Casebook, footnote 15 for complete reference.)