Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their intrepid Corps of Discovery were integral to the expansion of a new country. The expedition set out to begin mapping the immense territory that Thomas Jefferson had purchased. They chronicled the vast wilderness and the rich resources it contained. Lewis and Clark are a bedrock of American history, but they were not the first Europeans to explore the Great Plains.
In the 1790s, a story in Wales became very popular. There was a surge of interest across the country in the story of a Welshman named Madog, who supposedly discovered America. There were rumors of the existence of a tribe of Welsh Indians. John Evans was determined to explore the Missouri River and find the lost tribe.
Evans sailed to America and arrived in Baltimore in October 1792. The following spring, he ventured to Spanish Louisiana, where he was imprisoned on suspicion of being a British spy. The Spanish eventually released him, and in 1795, they allowed him to join an expedition to explore the Missouri River. The goal of the Spanish was to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. The goal of John Evans was to find the Welsh Indians.
Evans set off on his adventure. On this date in 1796, he found the Mandan in what would eventually become North Dakota, and he spent the winter with them. He was convinced that the myth of the Welsh Indians was just that: a myth.
He later wrote, "Thus having explored and charted the Missurie for 1,800 miles and by my Communications with the Indians this side of the Pacific Ocean from 35 to 49 Degrees of Latitude, I am able to inform you that there is no such people as the Welsh Indians."
Evans never found his Welsh Indians, but his exploration resulted in something even more valuable: He produced the first map of the area.
Evans remained in the service of Spain until he died in New Orleans in May 1799 of malaria. His map, however, lived on. It came into the possession of Thomas Jefferson and was later used by Lewis and Clark.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- State Historical Society of North Dakota Foundation. “Today in North Dakota History.” https://www.statehistoricalfoundation.org/todayinndhistory/?&offset=300Accessed 9/1/2026.
- Kevin C. Witte. “In the Footsteps of the Third Spanish Expedition: James Makay and John T. Evans’ Impact on the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” GREAT PLAINS QUARTERLY 26:2 (Spring 2006). Copyright © 2006 Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
- Antonio Sanchez. Spanish Exploration: Arteaga and Bodega y Quadra's 1779 Expedition. https://www.historylink.org/File/5689Accessed 9/1/2026.
- The Illinois State Museum. “The Lewis and Clark Expedition.” https://museum.state.il.us/exhibits/lewis_clark_il/htmls/il_country_exp/preps/john_evans.htmlAccessed 9/1/2026.
