Lewis and Clark in Pop Culture

The legend of Lewis and Clark is now so deeply ingrained in the history of our country it’s hard to imagine a time when most Americans didn’t recognize the names of the two Captains. But for about 150 years after their return to St. Louis, the nation almost forgot about them and their infamous trip into the West.

According to James Ronda, noted Lewis and Clark author and historian, in an article in Smithsonian Magazine, “If you look all through the 19th century, they might be mentioned in a single line. Even into the 1920s and 1930s they end up getting wrapped up with the Louisiana Purchase, which is not what they were initially involved with.”

From the 1890s through the 1950s, historians such as Elliot Coues, Reuben Thwaites, Bernard DeVoto, and many others kept trying to bring Lewis and Clark back to the surface, with limited success. But it wasn’t until the mid-1960s when several different perspectives intersected, and the leaders of the Corps of Discovery became the “household names” they are now. First, several books were released, including Donald Jackson’s collection of Lewis and Clark letters; then the U.S. government marked and recognized the historic Western Trails; and finally, the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation was formed in 1969, committed to be “Keepers of the Story, Stewards of the Trail.” All contributed to a renewed interest in the 1803-1806 journey. By the early 1970s, Lewis and Clark were back in the history books of our educational system.

In 1996 momentum was building when American historian Stephen E. Ambrose released his iconic, “Undaunted Courage.” Just a few years later in 2001, the University of Nebraska Press released what’s considered today to be the most complete edition of the Lewis and Clark Journals, a 20-year plus project for Gary E. Moulton. These complementary works were the perfect preface to the 2003-2006 Bicentennial Commemoration of the Expedition. At last, the names and legendary story of Lewis and Clark became highly recognized throughout the country and world – hopefully never to be forgotten.

Image Description: A copy of the first edition of “Undaunted Courage,” released in 1996. The front cover features a monotone illustration of several members of the Corps of Discovery overlooking a river. The title is set in a large, white font across the top and across the bottom is “Stephen E. Ambrose, Author of D-Day.” The book’s subtitle is in the lower left-hand side of the illustration, “Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West.”