Thomas Jefferson's Pet Grizzlies
For two months during the Presidency of Thomas Jefferson, a couple grizzly bears lived on the White House lawn.
Bears!
When Lewis and Clark went on their famous expedition to the Pacific Ocean, they encountered many creatures that had never been seen.
Among these were bears.
Bears that were more mean and fearsome than those in the west.
Grizzly bears.
A Grizzly Gift
Lewis and Clark returned with the skin of several grizzlies to demonstrate what they had seen.
Particularly interested in these animals was the very man who sent the Corps of Discovery in the first place...Thomas Jefferson.
When Zebulon Pike went out on his less-famous (but just as important) expeditions, he met a Native American man who sold him two grizzlies.
Pike sent the grizzlies back east as a present for the President.
What to do with the Beasts?
Jefferson loved receiving the bears, but they didn’t exactly make great pets.
He offered them to Charles Wilson Peale who had recently opened the first Natural History Museum in Philadelphia.
However, it took Peale two months to ready the place. During this time, the bears sat in cages on the front lawn of the White House.
On Display
When the grizzlies were finally brought to Peale’s Museum they were a big hit.
Unfortunately, the animals grew and one night the male escaped. It ran rampant through the Museum, destroying many artifacts and was only stopped when it was shot.
Both bears were handled by a taxidermist and put on display in the Museum, continuing as attractions for several decades.
Want to read about more FOUNDERS ON THE FRONTIER?
Great! Check out these articles:
The First American Adventurer - John Ledyard
Temporary Freedom - York and the Corps of Discovery
Daniel Boone - Founding Father on the Frontier
Zebulon Pike has several books about his life.
‘The Opening of the American West’ is a collection of essays by several authors who discuss Pike’s legacy, including the role he may (or may not) have played in the Aaron Burr Conspiracy.
Pick up a copy through the Amazon affiliate link below (you’ll support this site, but don’t worry, Amazon pays me while your price stays the same).
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