PRINTER'S NO. 4452
No. 705 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY DeWEESE, RYAN, LEVDANSKY, DERMODY, SHANER,
SAINATO, COSTA, READSHAW, TRAVAGLIO, PIPPY, COLEMAN, HARHAI,
STURLA, PALLONE AND WALKO, OCTOBER 8, 2002
ADOPTED, OCTOBER 8, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Requesting that the National Council of the Lewis and Clark
2 Bicentennial designate the planned events in Pittsburgh at
3 the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
4 from July 15 through August 31, 2003, as a national signature
5 event.
6 WHEREAS, Nearly 200 years ago President Thomas Jefferson,
7 with congressional support, sought to furnish an expedition to
8 study native cultures, investigate geographic features, discover
9 useful plants and animals and inform Native Americans of the new
10 sovereignty of the United States, which had recently been
11 acquired from France as a result of the Louisiana Purchase; and
12 WHEREAS, The president turned to his young private secretary,
13 Captain Meriwether Lewis, to provide leadership in this
14 endeavor; and
15 WHEREAS, Lewis, joined by his co-commander William Clark,
16 began an exploration to find the source of the Missouri River
17 and tributaries and to find a suitable water passage to the
18 western ocean for the purpose of commerce and exploration; and
19 WHEREAS, This great voyage of discovery opened up the
1 American West and widened the horizons of America's manifest
2 destiny; and
3 WHEREAS, The Lewis and Clark Expedition increased the young
4 nation's knowledge of and pride in our precious natural
5 resources; and
6 WHEREAS, The expedition helped the nation gain a better
7 understanding of America's native cultures; and
8 WHEREAS, Most importantly, Lewis and Clark's indomitable
9 spirit and courage stand as a testament to American
10 resourcefulness, ingenuity and courage; and
11 WHEREAS, This expedition was a major event in the history of
12 the United States and helped shape the cultural and geographic
13 boundaries of our county; and
14 WHEREAS, The respect fostered between Native American tribes
15 and members of the expedition represents a fine example of
16 diplomacy and relationships between divergent nations and
17 cultures; and
18 WHEREAS, Lewis chose Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the
19 expedition's point of departure, not just for its fortuitous
20 confluence of rivers, but because only in Pittsburgh and its
21 environs could he find skilled workmen to build the keelboat he
22 needed for a transcontinental voyage; and
23 WHEREAS, Efforts to commemorate the 200th anniversary of this
24 great adventure have been organized throughout the nation; and
25 WHEREAS, American communities from Charlottesville, Virginia
26 to Astoria, Oregon, have been selected by the National Council
27 of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial as sites for national
28 heritage signature events during the bicentennial commemoration
29 of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 2003 through 2006; and
30 WHEREAS, Each community was chosen for its place in the
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1 expedition's chronology, its historical relevance, cultural
2 diversity, tribal involvement, geographic location and
3 sponsoring organizations' capacity; and
4 WHEREAS, The National Council of the Lewis and Clark
5 Bicentennial has designated 15 national signature events to be
6 highlighted in the three-year celebration; therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
8 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognize the pivotal role that
9 Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania played in this epic story
10 and conclude that the bicentennial must not pass unnoticed in
11 this entire area; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives respectfully
13 request that the National Council of the Lewis and Clark
14 Bicentennial designate the planned events in Pittsburgh at the
15 Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center from July
16 15 through August 31, 2003, as a national signature event; and
17 be it further
18 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
19 the President of the United States, the Director of the
20 Smithsonian Institution, the President of the National
21 Geographic Society and to each member of Congress from
22 Pennsylvania.
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