The Missouri River

From pre-colonial times to the post-industrial age, rivers have shaped the course of American history and culture. Take a fascinating historical journey down the greatest rivers in the United States and learn how they have influenced the people and communities that live and work on them. The histories of these rivers include many of the notable names in American history, such as Lewis and Clark, John Colter, Zebulon Pike, and Tecumseh. The Missouri River of today is about 2,500 miles from its source in Montana to its union with the Mississippi just north of St. Louis, Missouri. Two hundred years ago the explorers Lewis and Clark led their Corps of Discovery up this river in search of the unknown lands of the American West.