Lewis and Clark’s Compass: What an Artifact Can Tell Us About the Historic Expedition

By John Micklos, Jr.

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 nearly doubled the size of the United States. The U.S. suddenly went from consisting of 17 states along the Atlantic coast to claiming land as far west as present-day Montana. The U.S. government knew little about the terrain there. Was there a water route to the Pacific? President Thomas Jefferson sent William Clark and Meriwether Lewis to find out. With nothing to guide them but a compass, what would Lewis and Clark discover? Readers will find the answer to this question and how an artifact can tell us about U.S. history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Apr 15, 2021
• ISBN: 9781977158024

John Micklos, Jr.

John Micklos, Jr. has written more than 50 children’s books spanning a wide range of ages and genres. His work includes picture books, poetry books, and numerous nonfiction books. Popular titles include One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me! (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books, 2017), which was chosen for inclusion in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program for multiple years. John’s other top-selling books include 125 True Stories of Amazing Pets (contributor) and 125 Cute Animals (contributor), both published by National Geographic Kids. He also has written dozens of biographies, history books, and social studies books for educational publishers such as Capstone and Cavendish Square. Biographies include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amelia Earhart, Alexander Graham Bell, Abraham Lincoln, Muhammad Ali, Sequoyah, Geronimo, and others. History topics include the Revolutionary War (six-book series), Civil War, Challenger tragedy, Gold Rush, Lewis and Clark Expedition, and many others. A resident of Newark, Delaware, John enjoys visiting schools (in person or via Zoom) and conducting writing workshops with students of all ages. His presentations and workshops center on writing poetry, nonfiction, and persuasive pieces, as well as the art of research and revision, to name just a few. Learn more about John’s work at www.JohnMicklosWriter.com.

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