Join us as we explore Kentucky’s important role in the 1803-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The expedition is commonly perceived as a western story, but there is also a very important eastern legacy. The expedition did not spring from nothing at the mouth of the Missouri in May 1804. It was east of the Mississippi where the expedition’s very important planning, recruitment, and supply occurred, and in this Kentucky played a major role. Half the members of the expedition were Kentuckians or had Kentucky ties. Lewis and Clark formed their partnership in Kentucky. And Kentucky newspapers were often the first to report on expedition news. Kentucky’s Lewis and Clark legacy is significant. As you visit the sections of this site you will learn about the legacy of Kentucky people, Kentucky places, and Kentucky connections to the expedition, and come to realize that Kentucky truly was the “Cradle of the Corps of Discovery.