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Rivers, Edens, Empires: Lewis & Clark and the Revealing of America
The online version of the Library of Congress display.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/lewisandclark/lewisandclark.html

	CONTENT: This site is the online version of the exhibition that is currently on display at the Library of Congress. It features the "Library's rich collections of exploration material documenting the quest to connect the East and the West by means of a waterway passage."
	AESTHETICS: The consistent layout and color scheme of all the pages make the site user friendly and attractive.
	ORGANIZATION: The site has a table of contents on the main page and each of the internal pages has a top navigation bar that makes movement through the site simple.
	REVIEW: Rivers, Edens, Empires commemorates the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Maps, images, drawings and paintings as well as other artifacts from the exhibit tell the story of the journey and the people and lands the explorers encountered on the way. The Before Lewis and Clark section traces the Spanish exploration of the Southwest from the sixteenth century through maps, journals, and other documents. The explorers' journey is documented with primary documents such as Thomas Jefferson's letter of instructions, the Indian Speech to Jefferson and Jefferson's Cipher as well as geographical information, plant samples and animal drawings from the journals of Lewis and Clark. Another section explores what came after the Lewis and Clark expedition such as Major Stephen H. Long's Scientific Expedition (1819-1820), the fur trade, and the surveys for the transcontinental railroad. Included is an Object Checklist that lists all of the artifacts that are included in the site. This is a great site for learning to use primary documents and report writing.
	RELATED REVIEWS: History: American History Social Sciences: Geography

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