Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery

Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery tells the remarkable story of the entire Corps of Discovery – not just of the two Captains, but the young army men, French-Canadian boatmen, Clark’s African-American slave, and the Shoshone woman named Sacajawea, who brought along her infant son. As important to the story as these many characters, however, was the spectacular land itself, and the promises it held.

Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) is a two-episode PBS documentary miniseries produced by WETA and Florentine Films. Rather than focusing only on its two captains, the program follows the whole Corps of Discovery, including the young army men, French-Canadian boatmen, an African-American man enslaved by Clark, and the Shoshone woman Sacajawea, who traveled with her infant son. Its engine is the long overland and river journey across a largely unmapped American west, and the obstacles of weather, terrain and the unknown that the group faced along the way. Presented as a single 120-minute story in two parts, it is shaped by reenactment, landscape footage and reflective commentary from historians such as Stephen E. Ambrose and James P. Ronda, along with writers and a Mandan-Hidatsa voice. The tone is measured, reverent and curious, with a wistful sense of the land's promise and the scale of the undertaking. Viewers drawn to The West and The Civil War, the Ken Burns style of public television history, will find the same patient, expert-led approach to the american frontier. It suits anyone wanting a sober, accessible account of westward expansion rather than dramatized fiction.

• The West (1996)shared documentary history form, american frontier subject matter, historian-narrated expedition story
• The Civil Warshared public broadcasting docuseries tradition, historian interviews, reenactment-driven history of american expansion
• Into the Wildshared historical exploration narrative, landscape-driven adventure of early american expansion

Release Date

1997-11-04

Episode runtime

120 min

Rating

8.5 / 10 (15)

What is Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery about?

A two-part PBS documentary that retraces the 1804-1806 Corps of Discovery expedition through the many people who made the journey, not just its two captains.

What is Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.

Which shows are like Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery?

Shows with a similar feel include The West (1996), The Civil War, and Into the Wild.

How long is Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery?

Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery: 1 season, 2 episodes.

Is Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery still running?

No, Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery has ended.

Where can I watch Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery?

In United States, Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery streams on PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel.