4Meriwether Lewis and William Clark benefited from Spanish, British, and French explorers who reached the Pacific Northwest before them. James Cook, George Vancouver, and Alexander Mackenzie--and to a lesser extent fur traders John Meares and Robert Gray--directly and indirectly influenced the expedition. Based on new material as well as revised essays from popular history journals, "Lewis and Clark Reframed" examines several curious and seemingly inexplicable aspects of the journey after the Corps of Discovery crossed the Rocky Mountains.