death_date death_place predecessor birth_place successor title birth_date term_start appointer signature image article_title term_end name occupation alma_mater
11 october 1809 hohenwald , tennessee , u.s. james wilkinson ivy , colony of virginia benjamin howard 2nd governor of louisiana territory 18 august 1774 march 3 , 1807 thomas jefferson meriweather lewis signature.svg meriweather lewis-charles willson peale.jpg meriwether lewis
 october 11 , 1809 meriwether lewis explorer , soldier , politician liberty 1793 hall -lrb- washington and lee university -rrb- ,
meriwether lewis

meriwether lewis -lrb- august 18 , 1774 -- october 11 , 1809 -rrb- was an american explorer , soldier , politician , and public administrator , best known for his role as the leader of the lewis and clark expedition , also known as the corps of discovery , with william clark .
their mission was to explore the territory of the louisiana purchase , establish trade with , and sovereignty over the natives near the missouri river , and claim the pacific northwest and oregon country for the united states before european nations .
they also collected scientific data , and information on indigenous nations .
president thomas jefferson appointed him governor of upper louisiana in 1806 .
isbn 978-0803215986 he died of gunshot wounds in what was either a murder or suicide , in 1809 .
