This is your on-line guide to what you will see and do on a WorldStrides program. Click on one of the destinations below to begin your adventure.

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Thomas Jefferson, Virginia farmer and eloquent statesman and author of the Declaration of Independence, was elected America’s third president in 1800 and became the first president to serve two terms in office. In 1803, Jefferson made perhaps the largest and most economical land purchase in history, buying the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and essentially doubling the size of the United States. Jefferson then commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory and report back to the president everything they found, including whether or not they could find a water passage connecting the east coast with the west.

Learn more about Thomas Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition below.

Click on “Memorial” to learn about the construction of the Jefferson Memorial, examine the four inscriptions found on the memorial’s walls, and discover the controversy surrounding the design of the memorial.

The Jefferson Memorial – D.C.

Click on the five links on the left hand side of the page to learn more about Mr. Jefferson’s five freedoms: political, religious, social, intellectual, and personal.

The Five Freedoms of Mr. Jefferson

Read a biography of Mr. Jefferson, discover the role he played in the Lewis and Clark expedition, and experience a “day in the life” of Mr. Jefferson at his home, Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Click on “Audio Recordings” and select “His Excellency” to hear Mr. Jefferson discuss his co-patriots, particularly George Washington.

The Thomas Jefferson Hour

You are now the leader of the Corps of Discovery as Lewis and Clark prepare to depart Fort Mandan, North Dakota and head off into the “Unknown”.

Into The Unknown – Lewis and Clark

President Jefferson has asked Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition across western North America. Lewis and his colleague William Clark have chosen a special team for the journey, and you’re invited.

Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark