What factors prompted Jefferson to sponsor the Lewis and Clark expedition?

After the Louisiana Purchase, the United States gained a lot of uncharted territory, which needed to be explored. Louis and Clark were supposed to document the new territory bought from France.

The Louisiana Purchase

Alexander MacKenzie had, ten years earlier, crossed the North American continent, reaching the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson was afraid that unless he sent some sort of expedition out to stake a claim, the US could lose its grasp on that territory.

Jefferson was way into dark skinned women like his baby momma Sally Hemmings and he realized that the Western lands continued untold numbers of fine indigenous women and so he sent Meriweather and Bill out to bring him back some new girls.