Meriwether Lewis Suicide Essay
The death of Meriwether Lewis: suicide or murder?
BY: Akcire Alston
October 11, 1809 was a date that lead too many unanswered questions and confused people, the day of Meriwether Lewis’ death. Meriwether Lewis was the governor of the upper Louisiana territory and a leader in the Lewis & Clark expedition. Lewis died of 2 Gunshot wounds, one to his head and the other to his stomach. His death was initially ruled as a suicide and many people believed that theory besides Lewis’ family. More theories and conspiracies were made that made more people have different believes on the topic. Meriwether Lewis committed suicide because of becoming overwhelmed by personal problems and physical disease.
Meriwether Lewis dealt with many personal problems which …show more content…
could have made him want to end his life. Many people such as Major Neelly, Major Russell, and Alexander Wilson all reported Lewis’ death as a suicide. Neelly and Russell both wrote that they observed Lewis having strange behaviors shortly before his death. Also in Jefferson’s short biography of Lewis, he writes that he had observed Lewis,” at times having sensible depressions of mind…”, which reveals how someone could easily become overwhelmed by depressions which could lead to suicidal thoughts. Lastly, in a letter to his brother Jonathon William Clark writes,” I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him. “this confrims that he was overwhelmed by his thoughts and killed himself. All the above statements are Evidence that supports how Lewis could have committed suicide due to becoming overwhelmed by personal problems.
Per Reimert T.
Ravenholt and Thomas C. Danisi Meriwether Lewis could have become overwhelmed by a physical disease. Ravonholt (who is a physician and epidemiologist) believes that Lewis was suffering from paresis which is a condition of muscular weakness caused by brain damage from untreated syphilis which could have killed him. Lewis’ behavior shortly before his death were like those afflicted with paresis. Ravenholt also believed that,” Lewis realized what was happening to him, and rather than cast a shadow upon those who loved and respected him, he ended his life.”which implies that he ended his own life. Danisi (who is a long-term Lewis and Clark scholar) believes that malaria was the disease afflicting Lewis.” Most people who lived in the Mississippi River Valley during the 19th century contracted malaria, which was spread by mosquitos.” Per the theories and interpretations of Meriwether Lewis’ death packet which proves how Lewis could have easily gotten maleria. Malaria was a reoccurring disease so Lewis could have gotten afflicted by it multiple times, Malaria also has stronger/ weaker effects depending on the person. Malaria creates unbearable pain to certain parts of the patient’s body and to get relief patients are known to try to “kill” the pain and sometimes end up killing themselves in the process which is a way that Lewis could have possibly committed
suicide.
Meriwether Lewis could not have been murdered because per multiple testimonies. in most testimonies, it explains how no one was in the room with Lewis at the time of his death. There are also no found documents of the alleged trail supporting that Mr. Grinder killed Lewis when coming home to seeing Lewis and Mrs. Grinder together, so how do we know that that really happened? The theory of Lewis dying to a murder motivated by robbery doesn’t make sense. If he had had all his important things with him when he went to the Grinders’ house and didn’t die until later that night in a room with his things how could he have been robbed and murdered on the Natchez Trace Like the article states? The above statements explain how there is no explanatory reason that supports Lewis being murdered.
The above evidence explains how Meriwether Lewis died. In conclusion Meriwether committed suicide on the night of October 11, 1809. He had become overwhelmed by depression, personal problems, and physical diseases. To this day there are still many different theories and conspiracies that have different viewpoints on Lewis’ death but him committing suicide is the most logical and believable reason for his death. There is no way that he could have been murdered. This essay clearly supports that Lewis killed himself.
BY: Akcire Alston
October 11, 1809 was a date that lead too many unanswered questions and confused people, the day of Meriwether Lewis’ death. Meriwether Lewis was the governor of the upper Louisiana territory and a leader in the Lewis & Clark expedition. Lewis died of 2 Gunshot wounds, one to his head and the other to his stomach. His death was initially ruled as a suicide and many people believed that theory besides Lewis’ family. More theories and conspiracies were made that made more people have different believes on the topic. Meriwether Lewis committed suicide because of becoming overwhelmed by personal problems and physical disease.
Meriwether Lewis dealt with many personal problems which …show more content…
could have made him want to end his life. Many people such as Major Neelly, Major Russell, and Alexander Wilson all reported Lewis’ death as a suicide. Neelly and Russell both wrote that they observed Lewis having strange behaviors shortly before his death. Also in Jefferson’s short biography of Lewis, he writes that he had observed Lewis,” at times having sensible depressions of mind…”, which reveals how someone could easily become overwhelmed by depressions which could lead to suicidal thoughts. Lastly, in a letter to his brother Jonathon William Clark writes,” I fear the weight of his mind has overcome him. “this confrims that he was overwhelmed by his thoughts and killed himself. All the above statements are Evidence that supports how Lewis could have committed suicide due to becoming overwhelmed by personal problems.
Per Reimert T.
Ravenholt and Thomas C. Danisi Meriwether Lewis could have become overwhelmed by a physical disease. Ravonholt (who is a physician and epidemiologist) believes that Lewis was suffering from paresis which is a condition of muscular weakness caused by brain damage from untreated syphilis which could have killed him. Lewis’ behavior shortly before his death were like those afflicted with paresis. Ravenholt also believed that,” Lewis realized what was happening to him, and rather than cast a shadow upon those who loved and respected him, he ended his life.”which implies that he ended his own life. Danisi (who is a long-term Lewis and Clark scholar) believes that malaria was the disease afflicting Lewis.” Most people who lived in the Mississippi River Valley during the 19th century contracted malaria, which was spread by mosquitos.” Per the theories and interpretations of Meriwether Lewis’ death packet which proves how Lewis could have easily gotten maleria. Malaria was a reoccurring disease so Lewis could have gotten afflicted by it multiple times, Malaria also has stronger/ weaker effects depending on the person. Malaria creates unbearable pain to certain parts of the patient’s body and to get relief patients are known to try to “kill” the pain and sometimes end up killing themselves in the process which is a way that Lewis could have possibly committed
suicide.
Meriwether Lewis could not have been murdered because per multiple testimonies. in most testimonies, it explains how no one was in the room with Lewis at the time of his death. There are also no found documents of the alleged trail supporting that Mr. Grinder killed Lewis when coming home to seeing Lewis and Mrs. Grinder together, so how do we know that that really happened? The theory of Lewis dying to a murder motivated by robbery doesn’t make sense. If he had had all his important things with him when he went to the Grinders’ house and didn’t die until later that night in a room with his things how could he have been robbed and murdered on the Natchez Trace Like the article states? The above statements explain how there is no explanatory reason that supports Lewis being murdered.
The above evidence explains how Meriwether Lewis died. In conclusion Meriwether committed suicide on the night of October 11, 1809. He had become overwhelmed by depression, personal problems, and physical diseases. To this day there are still many different theories and conspiracies that have different viewpoints on Lewis’ death but him committing suicide is the most logical and believable reason for his death. There is no way that he could have been murdered. This essay clearly supports that Lewis killed himself.