The Expedition of Lewis and Clark

The winter in January in 1805, Lewis and Clark spend time with the Mandan and Hidatsa villages in central North Dakota (lecture). From there they strike into an unmapped territory. The winter time was a rough one for Lewis and Clark. They struggled to find food and diseases impacted them greatly. Malaria was the biggest disease that affected Lewis and Clark.

Within 10 days of arriving on the coast, the Corps of Discovery decided to leave their storm-bound camp on the north shore of the Columbia River, and explore the area to the south. This area was said to have a ready supply of elk and deer and had convenient access to the ocean, which the men used to make salt. Lewis, with a small party, scouted ahead and found a “most eligible” site for winter quarters. On December 10, 1805, the men began to build a fort about two miles up the Netul River (now Lewis and Clark River). It took just over 3 weeks for the Expedition to build the fort, and by Christmas Day they were under shelter. They named the fort in honor of the friendly local Indian tribe, the Clatsop. Fort Clatsop would be the expedition’s home for the following three months.

Meriwether Lewis led the expedition. Their mission was to find a way to water. They brought 43 men on their mission, which was called the Corps of Discovery (The Kansas Journey, pg. 74). Clark sucked at spelling and Lewis was good at spelling (The Kansas Journey, pg 74). After Lewis and Clark got back, Zebulon Pike went to explore Kansas.

With the Lewis and Clark expedition, people would be able to travel to all uncharted places. Along the way, both Lewis and Clark would make a big discovery. The expedition first traveled up to the Missouri River. Along the way, Lewis and Clark met a young Native American woman named Sacagawea. She served as a translator and an ambassador.

In the 1997 film ´Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery´ Ken Burns the director told the story of the most famous voyage in U.S history which was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. ALong with Lewis and Clark came trained soldiers, a slave known as, York and on the way came Sacagawea, the daughter of the Shoshone Tribe’s chief. Thomas Jefferson was very interested about the west and was very curious, Jefferson wanted to know about the land, plants, animals, and the Native Americans who lived there. It’s 1803 and the West is still unknown all people had back then was rumors and stories about the West. So, Jefferson chose Lewis and Clark to lead the expedition, the goal of their mission was to explore the Missouri River

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.

Lewis and Clark explored tons of new lands, keeping careful and orderly maps and journals of everything they found. Many of the maps that Clark drew up are accurate to today. They explored more than 8000 miles in 2 and a half years. Lewis and Clark explored the proper, and improper ways to communicate with the indian chieftains and tribes which had positive and negative effects. One instance, there was a standoff with the Teton Sioux, almost resulted in a bloody breakout because the Chief wanted one of the supply boats for passage but eventually called off before anyone got hurt, meanwhile when the corps found the Shoshone, they had good relations and traded for many horses and received fresh

In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark sets out to explore the land to the West of the United States. President Jefferson had ordered them to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. They led 45 men on this journy. There group was called the Corps of Discovery. They traveled by foot and by boat. They visited lands that would later become 11 states. Lewis and Clark left from Illinois. They reaching the ocean in present day Washington state. Along the way, the two men kept jurnals. They wrote about the Native Americans they met. A Native American woman helped guide the men over the Rocky Mountains. Lewis and Clark described the new plants, animals, and insects they saw. They mapped the land. In three years, they traveled 8,000 miles. Their trip

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.

Captain Lewis helps with the delivery with a potion made from the crushing of the rings of a rattlesnake's rattle. On March 23rd 1806 they decide to head back home, Lewis and Clark split in to two groups, Clark heads down the Yellowstone River while Lewis explores the Marias River. In late July, Lewis party confronts a few Blackfeet warriors trying to steal their horses and guns, two Indians are killed in the scuffle that ensues. Afraid of being killed, the group flees toward their rendezvous point with Clark at the mouth of the Yellowstone. In total, the expedition traveled roughly 8,000 miles by boat, on foot, and on horseback.

At spring in 1805, the waters were raised and there was wonderful weather. The Lewis and Clark expedition set out further. They traveled up Missouri, Montana, and wisely chose the Jefferson River. By September they had their first encounter with the Indians. A small group of the explorers went ashore to talk to a group of Sioux Indians and offer them gifts. After a while, the Indians were demanding more gifts and did not let Clark go back to the boat. They soon let him go when the explorers showed they were ready to fight. When October came, they met a group of Mandan Indians who were really nice. The expedition decided to build a Fort next to their village and stay there for the Winter. During the winter, a trader named Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea, a Shoshone, joined in on the expedition.

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

As the winter months started to set in, they had to build winter quarters on the south side of the Columbia River. Surviving the harsh winter, on July 3, 1806, Lewis and Clark decided they should break into smaller groups in order to explore the unknown territory. Clark went down and explored the Yellowstone River and Lewis took a shortcut to Great Falls and the North along Maris River. Avoiding Indians for the majority of the trip, at the end of July 1806 Lewis encountered Blackfeet warriors but ended up camping with them. In the middle of the night, they caught the Blackfeet trying to steal their horses and guns, which resulted in the death of two Blackfeet.

The trip I went to was in May 1804. It began at St. Louis with Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Thomas Jefferson. It took us 2 years and 4 months to get back from the trip and we discovered 122 types of animals, 170 types of plants, and made 140 maps where we were at and there was none passageway from the northwest to even go across through.We found a clear spot to settle in and out to take a break off all of the adventurous trips.

As the winter months started to set in, they had to build winter quarters on the south side of the Columbia River. Surviving the harsh winter, on July 3, 1806, Lewis and Clark decided they should break into smaller groups in order to explore the unknown territory. Clark went down and explored the Yellowstone River and Lewis took a shortcut to Great Falls and the North along Maris River. Avoiding Indians for the majority of the trip, at the end of July 1806 Lewis encountered Blackfeet warriors but ended up camping with them. In the middle of the night, they caught the Blackfeet trying to steal their horses and guns, which resulted in the death of two Blackfeet.