WI: Failed Lewis and Clark expedition?

What would the long-term consequences of a failed Lewis and Clark expedition be? I've heard that it wouldn't have allowed the U.S. to lay claims to the Oregon territory? Do you agree with that? What else?
 
What would the long-term consequences of a failed Lewis and Clark expedition be? I've heard that it wouldn't have allowed the U.S. to lay claims to the Oregon territory? Do you agree with that? What else?
The US government would just send another expedition, probably more heavily armed and much larger West to find out. I would think a military battalion should do it. Honestly it would do nothing other than say you need to be well armed and well supplied to head West.
 
wtw,
it would take a little more than that, and I think it's selling the LC expedition a bit short.

The Spanish tried a few times and failed miserably.

it took a combination of well supplied, well organized, and a decent diplomatic sense.

IMO, it's rather extraordinary that the LC expedition went so well, so soon after the Louisiana Purchase, and is a large part of the expansionist fever that took hold of the US. Of course, the groundwork had been being laid for at least a decade prior to the expedition, well before the land was part of the US.

The westward movement was a combination of factors, and one of them was this notion of we can do anything, go anywhere. a huge success in the expedition fanned the flames. a bitter disaster wasn't going to put the flames out, but the whole manifest destiny thing would have taken a hit.
 
David Thompson becomes much more famous for having reached the Pacific via the Columbia River, and it may become the border for any future Anglo-American claims. Northern California may go differently too when Adams is negotiating it with Spain. But I suspect that very little changes in that part of the world in the long term.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
The US government would just send another expedition, probably more heavily armed and much larger West to find out. I would think a military battalion should do it. Honestly it would do nothing other than say you need to be well armed and well supplied to head West.
How do you supply a battalion that far west? I think that would end up making active enemies of the entirety of the Indian tribes as they'd almost have to steal large amounts of food to survive...
 
To tag along with Anaxagoras, if I am not mistaken, the Corps of Discovery was (minus civilians) a platoon sized element. I do not believe anything larger would be needed for a mission such as this one.
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
To tag along with Anaxagoras, if I am not mistaken, the Corps of Discovery was (minus civilians) a platoon sized element. I do not believe anything larger would be needed for a mission such as this one.

Before they reached Fort Mandan (in what is now North Dakota), they had a few dozen men. After the first winter, they sent the keelboat back to St. Louis with what they had collected so far, along with the men that Lewis and Clark didn't feel should go along for the rest of the journey. Those who went west from Fort Mandan, to the Pacific and back, I think numbered a bit over twenty.
 
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