St. Louis And Clark Expedition Of Sacagawea

Louis. From there they sailed up to the Wood River where they established Camp Dubois for the winter. Lewis and Clark completed their preparation during the winter by buying supplies, over hauling their boats, drilling their men, and completing their roster. A total of twenty-five soldiers and twenty civilian boatmen, guides, and hunters were selected for the expedition. Lewis estimated this journey would last at least two years. Finally on May 14, 1804 the expedition began.

As requested by Jefferson, Lewis and Clark would give medicine to the Indians, as disease was very common among them. They were able to complete many trades with Indian groups, giving them things such as guns and receiving food and information along with other resources for their expedition. Sacagawea was a very helpful guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark. She was a very important contributing aid to the success of the expedition. The relationship between Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea and her family was an example of respect between the two groups. After the help of Sacagawea, Lewis and Clark even persuaded them to give them Sacagawea’s son so they could put him in United States schooling, and he could grow up healthy. Lewis and Clark did follow through with this promise. Lewis and Clark were respectful at times to the Indians, but the two as well disrespected them, and on multiple

In May of 1804, two men set out on an important journey that would take them across the country and discover new land, but none of it would have been possible without the aid of one woman. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was planned by Thomas Jefferson, in order to explore the unknown in the newly purchased Louisiana Territory, and also to find a water route across the continent. Along the way the group of men met a quiet native, named Sacagawea, whose impact would later have a large effect on the success of their important journey.

Sakakawea or Sacajawea was a Lemhi Shoshone woman, who is well-famed for Leading Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition to find the Pacific Ocean through the Western United States, acting as an interpreter and guide. She traveled thousands of miles from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean between 1804 and 1806, while bearing child in her womb. The National American Woman Suffrage Association of the early twentieth century adopted her as the symbol of women’s worth and independence, erecting several statues, and plaques in her memory, and doing much to spread the story of her accomplishments.

Throughout the course of American history, there are many men who have helped shape the United States. However, there are very few women who have also helped shape the United States. Sacagawea was one of those women. When President Thomas Jefferson tasked Lewis and Clark to lead an expedition into the west, it was Sacagawea that contributed the most to their mission. Without her contributions, expansion throughout America would have been much more difficult. Sacagawea provided invaluable help to Lewis and Clark’s expedition by using her knowledge of the land and local tribes to guide them through safer routes, find food, and help them communicate with other Native Americans.

Many people in America know of the historical expedition of Lewis and Clark, but only a few know of the expedition to California led by Jedediah Smith. This expedition took place after Thomas Jefferson signed the papers to acquire a huge region in the west through the Louisiana Purchase. After this expansion many people were eager to explore the west and among those was Jedediah Smith. From his childhood, Smith dreamed one day of exploring the unknown west part of the United States. He once said, "I wanted to be the first to view a country on which the eyes of a white man had never gazed and to follow the course of rivers that run through a new land." In 1824, Jedediah Smith began formulating his famous California expedition that

The members of the expedition were always on the lookout for Indians and hoping they would come in peace. They were armed in case they weren't. For security, Lewis and Clark made camp on river isla nds whenever possible and kept guards there at night. By the end of July they had traveled more than 600 miles up the river and still hadn't met an Indian.

The Lewis and Clark expedition was amongst one of the first major American expeditions. This expedition helped the United States advance in science, land as well as gaining many valuable resources. The Lewis and Clark expedition is also an amazing American story. Lewis and Clark went through extraordinary situations to expedite Americas growth and science. They accomplished this expedition with strenuous encounters with the Native Americans.The importance of the Lewis and Clark expedition is derived by the challenges they faced, the encounters they had with Western Indians, and the knowledge gained about the Louisiana territory.

The Lewis and Clark expedition was a truth that was to become the crowning accomplishment in the lifetime of the brilliant thinker, inventor, and founding father, Thomas Jefferson . It has become a profounding turning point throughout America’s history. Investigating the recently obtained Louisiana Territory, which nearly doubled the size of the country, arranged Jefferson the opportunity to widen the boundaries of the United States to include both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The threat of the unknown lay ahead for Lewis and Clark’s team. The explorers had no idea what they would e be confronted with on their journey, but still they advanced into the unknown area that could officially be called part of America. Thanks to the addition of Lewis, Clark, their essential guide Sacajawea, and the many men that traveled with them America was able to expose land as well as providing important information about the topography, the biological studies, the ecology, and the studies of the American Indian as they discovered the mysteries of the Louisiana Purchase. Although it was a treacherous and costly journey, the Lewis and Clark expedition was the most important exploration in American history.

On May 14, 1804 in the eastern city of Saint Louis, William Clark and Merry-weather Lewis set of on the westward adventure that would change America as we know it today. Their journey began on the Mississippi River, those rapids would propel Lewis and Clark into the "Corps of Discovery". Across the vast land that these men would soon travel lived the many native-american tribes. The Native people hunted freely across their western lands, lived their life as one with the ground they so carefully treaded on. Soon, the great American adventurers and the native people would meet, but one brought with them the foreshadowing of a new era. An era when American life would be greatly improved with new natural resources and plentiful free land, but only at the cost of ruining the native american people of their way of life. The Lewis and Clark Expedition expanded the knowledge and lifestyle of America but began the elimination of the original American natives way of life and culture.

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.

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)

All across America people know the name of Sacagawea, the Indian interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition. Sacagawea was known for being the only woman on the expedition, but many people may not know all the reasons as to how she survived being the only woman. She became strong through all of the events that happened to her. Sacagawea, the only woman on the Lewis and Clark expedition, survived because of events that happened to her at a young age and because of her good interpreting skills.

On Lewis and Clark's return journey, Sacagawea had known her way around southwestern Montana very well, so she was able to lead the Lewis and Clark expedition through the best route for them, which was in between Missouri and Yellowstone. "Her knowledge of routes, her skills with the plants and wildlife, and her courage, common sense, and good humor contributed greatly to the journey's success“ (Benson 1360). Sacagawea joined William Clark and directed him through the best mountain routes, pointing out the safest paths, and finding edible berries & roots for food.

Corps of Discovery met a traveling band of Shoshones before they entered Idaho. Sacagawea recognized their leader, he was her brother who she had not seen in five years. Lewis and Clark were not successful without Sacagawea. When Sacagawea was little she was kidnapped from her people and taken to live with the Mandan tribe. Sacagawea married a french trapper. Both Sacagawea and her husband joined Lewis and Clark’s expedition. She was very helpful for talking with native people and trading.