History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the Sources of the Missouri, Thence Across the Rocky Mountains and Down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed During the Years 1804-5-6

Philadelphia: J. Maxwell for Bradford & Inskeep and Abm. H. Inskeep of New York, 1814. 2 volumes, 8vo. (8 1/4 x 4 3/4 inches). Vol. I : xxviii pp., 470 pp. ; Vol. II : ix pp. (verso blank), 522 pp. Five maps and charts. Original large folding map. Contemporary sheep, rebacked to style, spine ruled in gilt, red morocco lettering piece.

An exceptional copy of the first official account of the Lewis and Clark expedition, complete with the extremely rare original map. "The definitive account of the most important exploration of the North American continent" (Wagner-Camp).

This landmark publication chronicles the United States government-backed (truncated) expedition undertaken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from 1804 to 1806. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson following the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, the expedition set out to chart the newly acquired territory by ascending the Missouri River to its source, crossing the Rocky Mountains, and ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean. In total, the expedition covered approximately 8,000 miles over the course of slightly more than twenty-eight months. It produced the first reliable information on vast and previously uncharted regions of North America, making contact with numerous Indigenous tribes and laying the groundwork for the expansion of the fur trade. The undertaking advanced the geographical knowledge of the continent by an unprecedented degree, fundamentally reshaping the nation's understanding of the West. This official narrative, compiled from the meticulous journals kept by Lewis and Clark, is not only a cornerstone of Americana but also one of the most influential works of American natural history, ethnography, and science. As the first detailed description of the Rocky Mountain West, it set the standard for all subsequent accounts of Western exploration. The observations recorded within its pages capture the majesty and diversity of the American wilderness as it was encountered for the first time by European Americans, while also documenting the lives, cultures, and practices of Indigenous peoples. The map, based on the expedition's remarkable cartographic achievements, provided the first accurate depiction of the trans-Mississippi West. It includes newly discovered river systems, mountain ranges, and other critical geographic features, and it established the foundation for all subsequent mapping of the western United States. Copies retaining this original map are exceedingly rare and are considered among the most desirable works for collectors of Americana and exploration literature. As much a landmark publication as the journey itself, the Lewis and Clark narrative remains a perennial American bestseller, treasured both as an adventure epic and as a foundational scientific document. It represents the first great U.S. government expedition and one of the most famous books in American history.

Church 1309; Field 928; Graff 2477; Grolier American 100, 30; Howes L317; Printing & the Mind of Man 272; Tweney 89, 44; Sabin 40828; Shaw & Shoemaker 31924; Streeter Sale 1777; Streeter, Americana Beginnings, 52; Wagner-Camp 13:1. (Inventory #: 41829)