Lewis And Clark Challenges

The year of 1803 significantly changed our nation eternally. It stunned many people. In no way, shape or form, did we ever believe that our nation would expand so rapidly. What started with the small purchase of New Orleans led into the substantial purchase of the Louisiana Territory. This was a purchase that will make Thomas Jefferson a man to be remembered. Although, he wasn’t the only man who impacted the United States during this time period. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are the two men that are greatly known for their expedition across the Louisiana Territory. These two subjects, the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, altered our nation immeasurably.

Lewis and Clark were not respectful to the American Indians who inhabited Louisiana. To illustrate, in document B it expresses that an Indian had taken a gun and ran off with it. Then J. Fields saw the Indian running with the gun and called for his brother R. Fields. R.Field stabbed the Indian to the heart with his knife (Document B: Diary Entry of Meriwether Lewis). This piece of evidence establish that they are not respecting the American Indians because the brothers had killed an Indian for just taking a gun. The Indian was probably curious about the technology that they had and were misunderstood.

Jefferson also started the Luis and Clarke Expedition, founded University of Virgin. He also founded the U.S. Military Academy, He also made a statue if the middle of the University of Virginia because he wanted to symbolizes that Virginia is free from slavery. Thomas Jefferson did a lot more, and I felt like that's what a good president would do.

In two years, Lewis, Clark, and all of the men that traveled with them did the impossible. They mapped the territory, collected ample samples of flora and fauna, and made peace with the various Indian tribes, all while keeping more than thirty men alive in the wilderness. If they hadn’t been efficient packers and effective diplomats, none of this would have been possible. Their journey was a huge success, and all of the men made it back alive, despite risking themselves several times by splitting up. The journey of Lewis and Clark will be remembered for centuries to come, and rightfully so.

Lewis and Clark were not respectful to the Native Americans they encountered on their journey. They killed a Native American unnecessarily, stole horses, and made unreasonable demands and threats.

Lewis and Clark were able to cover many miles before The Missouri River froze . Four days after the first snowfa ll, they reached the Mandan tribe's villages, where they planned to spend the winter. Without stopping,the members began to build a fort for protection against the snow and attack by the Sioux. Before the end of November, when ice wa s already running in the river, the fort was finished. Temperatures dropped to below QQF and guards, watching the entire fort, had to be relieved every 30 minutes. The expedition's food supplies soon began to run low. To make it through the winter, the

Threats and attacks on neutral Indians were common among soldiers. Indians lived near the forts in order to trade. Soldiers were constantly afraid and “garrisons spent more time dreading attack than undergoing it”. (130) The soldiers had no way to know if there were spies among them, which made them suspicious of all so sometimes they just killed them all. Even when the killing never happened, the threats, bullying, drinking and bragging by both whites and Indians kept the fear going.

Either way, Lewis was the man for the job. He had skill as a gentleman, politician and military officer as well as skill with the sciences and all the knowledge of Indians as could be found. With his friend William Clark as his equal for the journey, they spent the fall and winter in preparation. Jefferson had given Lewis a “blank check” with the understanding that he should buy what he needed and the U.S. government would pay the bill, despite the fact that only $2500 had originally been approved by congress before the formal purchase of the Louisiana Territory. (Jefferson)

On February 28, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson, with the approval of congress, created the Corps of Discovery. Their mission was to map the newly acquired western lands of the Louisianna Purchase, almost 1803—828,000 square miles of unexplored territory, as well as find a route to the Pacific Ocean. This expedition was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. During their adventure, the group encountered many hostile Native American groups, and if not for Sacagawea, these tribes would have surely jeopardized their operation. Due to her role as a helpful guide, Sacagawea was crucial in the encounter between the Corps of Discovery and the Native Americans because she negotiated and traded between the groups, functioned as a peace token, and served as an interpreter.

…I saw the helpless Cherokees arrested and dragged from their homes, and driven at the bayonet point into the stockades. And in the chill of a drizzling rain on an October morning I saw them loaded like cattle or sheep into six hundred and forty-five wagons and started toward the west… …One can never forget the sadness and solemnity of that morning. Chief John Ross led in prayer and when the bugle sounded and the wagons started rolling many of the children rose to their feet and waved their little hands good-by to their mountain homes, knowing they were leaving them forever... (Burnett).

“after hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children at Wounded Knee had been killed by the powerful Hotchkiss guns...the survivors were tracked down for miles around and summarily executed-because, and only because, the blood running in their veins was Indian...Women and children accounted for more than two-thirds of the Indian dead. “(Stannard

“What I’m about to tell you, Corporal, cannot leave this room. Under no circumstances can you allow your code talker to fall into enemy hands. Your mission is to protect the code… at all cost.” In the movie, Windtalkers, this is how a commander wants his marine to treat the paired Navajo code talker. That is, if it’s necessary, his marine could kill the Navajo, just like abandoning one of his properties. Even in the mid 1900s, the Native Americans were still treated not as human beings, but rather, machines; therefore, it is not hard for us to imagine how even more frightening the Native Americans’ circumstances were in the early days when they were first colonized by the western settlers. In Deborah Miranda’s “Indian

They slowly made their way up river with their crew spread out on three boats at the start of this expedition. On slow days they covered four miles and on a good day they covered up to twenty miles. On an average it was about ten miles covered a day. The two captains divided their duties. Clark stayed on the keelboat and managed the men, compass readings, and the distance traveled. Lewis went ashore with his dog almost every day to gather plants, take soil samples, and taking note of the good sites for future settlements. By June 26th, they had traveled forty-three days and four hundred miles. By July 21st, they had traveled six hundred forty miles. One of the first Indian tribes they encountered was the Oto Indian tribe. Instructions from President Jefferson were that they would make friends with the Indians. Lewis and Clark were very careful in advising them that their land now belonged to the United States. After leaving the Oto Indians, the

went back to the United States. They were back by 1806. Lewis and Clark achieved their goal of

from the group and had to set out on his own. Once winter arrived, everyone