As Jefferson groomed Meriwether Lewis to head an expedition to explore the West, it was understandable that he would turn to fellow members of the American Philosophical Society for support. This was the oldest learned society in the United States, and one dedicated to furthering knowledge of the natural sciences as well as cultivating the arts.
Jefferson's interest in the geography of North America doubtlessly came from his father Peter Jefferson, who employed himself as a surveyor of boundaries and maker of maps from 1745 to 1750.
