William Clark | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Charles Willson Peale, c. 1810 | |
| 4th Governor of Missouri Territory | |
| In office July 1, 1813 – September 18, 1820 | |
| Appointed by | James Madison |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Howard |
| Succeeded by | Alexander McNair |
| Superintendent of Indian Affairs | |
| In office 1822 – September 1, 1838 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Thomas L. McKenney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 1, 1770 Ladysmith, Colony of Virginia |
| Died | September 1, 1838 (aged 68) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Spouses |
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| Relations |
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| Children | 6, including Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr. |
| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Infantry Artillery |
| Years of service | 1792–1796 1804–1807 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Second lieutenant, First lieutenant |
| Unit | Legion of the United States Regiment of Artillerists |
| Commands | Corps of Discovery |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Fallen Timbers |
William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor.[1] A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Missouri.
Along with Meriwether Lewis, Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806 across the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean, the first major effort to explore and map much of what is now the Western United States and to assert American claims to the Pacific Northwest.[2] Before the expedition, he served in a militia and the United States Army. Afterward, he served in a militia and as governor of the Missouri Territory. From 1822 until his death in 1838, he served as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.
- ^ Jones, Landon Y. (2004). William Clark and the Shaping of the West. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0809030415.
- ^ Miller, Robert J. (2006). Native America, Discovered and Conquered: Thomas Jefferson, Lewis & Clark, and Manifest Destiny. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 108. ISBN 978-0275990114.