- establish an effective claim to the Louisiana Territory, which Jefferson thought to be insecure until Americans explored the region.
- prepare maps and secretly establish forts in preparation for an American invasion of Mexico.
- report on the physical features and the plant and animal life of the Louisiana Territory, in which Jefferson took a great scientific interest.
- identify areas into which the Indian tribes of the Northwest Territory could be forced to move.
ANSWER: The Lewis and Clark expedition was dispatched primarily to report on the physical features and the plant and animal life of the Louisiana Territory, in which Jefferson took a great scientific interest.