Diplomat, explorer, scientist, governor, soldier, and the official leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Meriwether Lewis has been called "undoubtedly the greatest pathfinder this country has ever known."
Lewis was a brilliant mindset, and showed many signs of autism. He rarely spoke to people and was obsessed with maps. Could the Corps of Discovery had failed if someone else had been the leader? We all know that Thomas Jefferson was likely autistic himself, and he certainly did have good taste when it came time to pick a secretary! Lewis's analytical brain and attention to detail could very well have been one of the main reasons that this country is where it is today. Meriwether Lewis shows us that social skills aren't always everything, and how successful individuals who "think outside the box" can be when they're given a chance.
Sadly, Meriwether Lewis also suffered from severe "melancholy"-depression. Shortly after the successful return of the Corps, he was found dead of gunshot wounds in a hotel room. Most to this day still believed that he committed suicide. It's unfortunate that he could not receive the help that he needed and deserved-and even today, many people who suffer from depression-the number one cause of disability-never do receive meaningful help and treatment. My guess is, that Meriwether Lewis could have gone on to become President of the United States had he only been able to get treatment. Who knows what he could have done!
I had no idea that Jefferson and Lewis were on the spectrum! What an interesting article. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete