Want to learn the ideas in Undaunted Courage better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambros here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of Undaunted Courage

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on Undaunted Courage, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Stephen E. Ambros.

1-Page Summary of Undaunted Courage

Overview

Lewis’ Early Life

The first five chapters of Undaunted Courage detail the life of Meriwether Lewis before he undertook his expedition. He was born in Virginia, and as a boy he lived on a Georgia frontier colony where he learned about nature and survival skills. After returning from that experience at age thirteen, Lewis went to school for several years so that he would be prepared to manage the estate which had been left him by his father. However, only a few years later, Captain Lewis volunteered for military service with the Virginia militia in 1794. Over the next six years, Captain Lewis traveled throughout much of America’s frontier regions while serving in the military; however, President Jefferson asked him to serve as his personal secretary when Jefferson became president in 1801.

Planning the Expedition

Jefferson had long been interested in exploring the West. When he heard that the British were planning to engage in the fur trade, he was galvanized into action and chose Lewis to command an expedition. Lewis’ goals included finding a route along rivers leading westward, telling Indians about their new leader and bringing them into America’s trading network, as well as exploring tributaries of the Mississippi River and determining what land belonged to America. Jefferson also wanted scientific inquiry conducted on this journey.

Lewis studied geography, botany, mineralogy, astronomy and ethnology with leading American scientists. He also made decisions on what supplies to bring and how many men to employ in the company. Lewis oversaw the construction of a boat that would take him up the Mississippi River. He chose Clark as his co-commander because he had met him in the military earlier. The Louisiana Purchase was completed before they set off for their expedition which gave them access to much of the land over which they travelled.

Up the Missouri

August 31, 1803 is when Lewis set out on his journey. He met with Clark in Clarksville to get other men on the trip and sailed upriver to Wood River for winter camp. Clark oversaw preparations while Lewis handled supplies from St. Louis.

On May 22, 1804, the Corps of Discovery started out on its journey. It was made up of almost 50 men and included a large keelboat as well as two smaller boats. The expedition traveled more than 640 miles before encountering any Indians. On August 2nd, they met a group of Oto people and gave them gifts from their president (Jefferson). In September, they met with a large Sioux party and visited their village for the first time.

In October, the Corps of Discovery traveled to present-day North Dakota. They met with friendly Mandan Indians and built a fort there for the winter. They also met a French-Canadian trader named Charbonneau, who brought his wife Sacagawea along as an interpreter. A small group of men sailed down the Missouri River to bring back information about their journey thus far.

Westward Bound

On April 7, 1805, the expedition was ready to move west. Eight days later, they discovered that two rivers met and had to decide which river was the Missouri. They chose the south fork and followed it until they reached Great Falls. After several days of traveling with Shoshoni guides, Sacagawea’s brother approached them on horseback with a party of Shoshonis. He offered his help in crossing the mountains by trading horses for canoes and hiring Old Toby as their guide.

The men traveled over the mountains and down the Columbia River to get to the Pacific. The rapids were too dangerous for their canoes, so they had to carry supplies by hand. They built a fort as winter quarters near the mouth of the Columbia. However, when they tried to trade with local Native Americans for a canoe, Lewis told his men to steal it instead. In March 1806, after spending an unproductive winter in Oregon Territory, Lewis and his party turned around and headed home.