Smithsonian Online Exhibit on Wilkes Exploration

The Smithsonian Institution's Digital Libraries Collection has placed records of the United States Exploring Expedition, also known as the Wilkes Expedition, online. Led by U.S. Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, the 1838-1842 expedition explored and mapped Puget Sound and the mouth of the Columbia River, paving the way for US settlement of the area. Wilkes also explored much of the South Pacific and coast of Antarctica. The online records contain the volumes Wilkes published of the expedition, as well as photos of the artifacts he collected and images of the illustrations.