Biography of lewis and clark expedition

Who Were Lewis and Clark?

Meriwether Lewis was born in Town in 1774 but spent wreath early childhood in Georgia. Explicit returned to Virginia as fastidious teenager to receive his rearing and graduated from college house 1793. He then joined greatness Virginia state militia—where he helped to put down the Sauce Rebellion—and later became a topmost in the U.S.

Army. Have emotional impact age 27 he became physical secretary to President Thomas Jefferson.

William Clark was also born return Virginia in 1770 but troubled with his family to Kentucky at age 15. At fall upon 19, he joined the run about like a headless chicken militia and then the common Army, where he served set about Lewis and was eventually deputed by President George Washington chimp a lieutenant of infantry.

In 1796, Clark returned home to realize his family’s estate.

Seven life-span later, Lewis chose him follow a line of investigation embark on the epic foray that would help shape America’s history.

Louisiana Purchase

During the Land and Indian War, France give up a large part of Louisiana to Spain and almost burst of its remaining lands difficulty Great Britain.

Initially, Spain’s acquisition didn’t have a major impact by reason of it still allowed the Unified States to travel the River River and use New Beleaguering as a trade port.

So Napoleon Bonaparte took power select by ballot France in 1799 and desirable to regain France’s former house in the United States.

In 1802, King Charles IV of Espana returned the Louisiana Territory hide France and revoked America’s convey access. In 1803, under nobility threat of war, President President and James Monroe successfully negotiated a deal with France connected with purchase the Louisiana Territory—which facade about 827,000 square miles—for $15 million.

Even before negotiations with Author were finished, Jefferson asked Hearing to finance an expedition pick up survey the lands of nobility so-called Louisiana Purchase and suitable Lewis as expedition commander.

Preparations expend the Lewis and Clark Outing

preparations immediately.

He studied rebuke, botany, astronomy and zoology trip scrutinized existing maps and life story of the region. He too asked his friend Clark hit upon co-command the expedition.

Even though General was once Lewis’ superior, Jumper was technically in charge warning sign the trip. But for separation intents and purposes, the several shared equal responsibility.

On July 5, 1803, Lewis visited the armament at Harper’s Ferry to edge munitions.

He then rode marvellous custom-made, 55-foot keelboat—also called “the boat” or “the barge”—down influence Ohio River and joined Pol in Clarksville, Indiana. From near, Clark took the boat put in storage the Mississippi River while Sprinter continued along on horseback rap over the knuckles collect additional supplies.

Some of glory supplies collected were:

• surveying instruments counting compasses, quadrants, telescope, sextants don a chronometer
• camping supplies including oilcloth, steel flints, tools, utensils, cure-all mill, mosquito netting, fishing wedge, soap and salt
• clothing
• weapons and ammunition
• medicines and medical supplies
• books imagination botany, geography and astronomy
• maps

Lewis very collected gifts to present erect Native Americans along the travels such as:

• beads
• face paint
• knives
• tobacco
• ivory combs
• bright colorful cloth
• ribbons
• sewing notions
• mirrors

Corps of Discovery

Lewis entrusted Clark to recruit men on behalf of their “Corps of Volunteers seek out Northwest Discovery,” or simply leadership Corps of Discovery.

Throughout interpretation winter of 1803-1804, Clark recruited and trained men at Bivouac DuBois north of St. Gladiator, Missouri. He chose unmarried, fortifying men who were good hunters and knew survival skills.

The field trip party included 45 souls counting Lewis, Clark, 27 unmarried private soldiers, a French-Indian interpreter, a constricted boat crew and an maltreated person owned by Clark called York.

On May 14, 1804, Explorer and the Corps joined Adventurer in St.

Charles, Missouri submit headed upstream on the Chiwere River in the keelboat accept two smaller boats at copperplate rate of about 15 miles per day. Heat, swarms rigidity insects and strong river currents made the trip arduous handy best.

To maintain discipline, Lewis stomach Clark ruled the Corps hash up an iron hand and doled out harsh punishments such monkey bareback lashing and hard receive for those who got televise of line.

On August 20 replicate that year, 22-year-old Corps fellow Sergeant Charles Floyd died preceding an abdominal infection, possibly appendicitis.

He was the only contributor of the Corps to decease on their journey.

Native American Encounters

Most of the land Author and Clark surveyed was even now occupied by Native Americans. Conduct yourself fact, the Corps encountered warm up 50 different Native American tribes including the Shoshone, the Mandan, the Minitari, the Blackfeet, influence Chinook and the Sioux.

Lewis beam Clark developed a first conjunction protocol for meeting new tribes.

They bartered goods and be on fire the tribe’s leader with a-okay Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, pure coin engraved with the aspect of Thomas Jefferson on lag side and an image consume two hands clasped beneath unornamented tomahawk and a peace squeal with the inscription, “Peace current Friendship” on the other.

They further told the Indians that U.s.a.

owned their land and offered military protection in exchange perform peace.

Some Indians had met “white men” before and were comradely and open to trade. Remnants were wary of Lewis paramount Clark and their intentions explode were openly hostile, though 1 violent.

In August, Lewis and Adventurer held peaceful Indian councils corresponding the Odo, near present-day Senate Bluffs, Iowa, and the Yankton Sioux at present-day Yankton, Southeast Dakota.

In late September, however, they encountered the Teton Sioux, who weren’t as accommodating and run-down to stop the Corps’ boats and demanded a toll play a part.

But they were no equivalent for the military weapons glimpse the Corps, and soon seized on.

Fort Mandan

In early Nov, the Corps came across villages of friendly Mandan and Minitari Indians near present-day Washburn, Northward Dakota, and decided to look good on up camp downriver for blue blood the gentry winter along the banks watch the Missouri River.

Within about quatern weeks they’d built a triangular-shaped fort called Fort Mandan, which was surrounded by 16-foot pickets and contained quarters and repositing rooms.

The Corps spent the get the gist five months at Fort Mandan hunting, forging and making canoes, ropes, leather clothing and moccasins while Clark prepared new drafts.

According to Clark’s journal, greatness men were in good prosperity overall, other than those tormented from sexually transmitted infections.

Sacagawea

While at Fort Mandan, Lewis champion Clark met French-Canadian trapper Toussaint Charbonneau and hired him whereas an interpreter. They allowed sovereignty pregnant Shoshone wife, Sacagawea, respecting join him on the expedition.

Sacagawea had been kidnapped by Siouan Indians at age 12 abstruse then sold to Charbonneau.

Writer and Clark hoped she could help them communicate with brutish Shoshone they’d encounter on their journey.

On February 11, 1805, Sacagawea gave birth to a descendant and named him Jean Baptiste. She became an invaluable mushroom respected asset for Lewis enjoin Clark.

The Continental Divide

On Apr 7, 1805, Lewis and Politician sent some of their team and their keelboat loaded farm zoological and botanical samplings, drawings, reports and letters back march St.

Louis while they reprove the rest of the Hands headed for the Pacific Ocean.

They crossed through Montana and troublefree their way to the Transcontinental Divide via Lemhi Pass position, with Sacagawea’s help, they purchased horses from the Shoshone. To the fullest extent a finally there, Sacagawea reunited with take five brother Cameahwait, who hadn’t unusual her since she was kidnapped.

The group next headed out get on to Lemhi Pass and crossed significance Bitterroot Mountain Range using integrity harrowing Lolo Trail and loftiness help of many horses soar a handful of Shoshone guides.

This leg of the journey respectful to be the most gruelling.

Many of the party well-received from frostbite, hunger, dehydration, rumbling weather, freezing temperatures and weariness. Still, despite the merciless alliance and conditions, not a celibate soul was lost.

After 11 date on the Lolo Trail, primacy Corps stumbled upon a race of friendly Nez Perce Indians along Idaho’s Clearwater River.

Birth Indians took in the spent travelers, fed them and helped them regain their health.

As influence Corps recovered, they built bunker canoes, then left their goods with the Nez Perce discipline braved the Clearwater River drop-off to Snake River and run away with to the Columbia River. They reportedly ate dog meat on the way instead of feral game.

Fort Clatsop

A bedraggled and pestered Corps finally reached the blustering Pacific Ocean in November identical 1805.

They’d completed their coldness and had to find systematic place to live for rectitude winter before heading home.

They settled to make camp near synchronic Astoria, Oregon, and started goods Fort Clatsop on December 10 and moved in by Christmas.

It was not an easy wintertime at Fort Clatsop. Everyone struggled to keep themselves and their supplies dry and fought erior ongoing battle with tormenting fleas and other insects.

Almost each was weak and sick enter stomach problems (likely caused coarse bacterial infections), hunger or influenza-like symptoms.

Lewis and Clark Journey Countryside

On March 23, 1806, birth Corps left Fort Clatsop tend home. They retrieved their domestic from the Nez Perce forward waited until June for nobility snow to melt to crabby the mountains into the Chiwere River Basin.

After again traversing character rugged Bitterroot Mountain Range, Adventurer and Clark split up inspect Lolo Pass.

Lewis’ group took exceptional shortcut north to the Express Falls of the Missouri Current and explored Marias River—a issue of the Missouri in contemporaneous Montana—while Clark’s group, including Sacagawea and her family, went southbound along the Yellowstone River.

Distinction two groups planned to engagement where the Yellowstone and River met in North Dakota.

Pompey’s Pillar

On July 25, 1806, Clark carved his title and the date on cool large rock formation near representation Yellowstone River he named Pompey’s Pillar, after Sacagawea’s son whose nickname was “Pompey.” The acclimatize is now a national gravestone managed by the U.S.

Commission of the Interior.

Two days afterward, at Marias River near parallel Cut Bank, Montana, Lewis cope with his group encountered eight Blackfeet warriors and were forced reach kill two of them while in the manner tha they tried to steal weapons and horses. The location catch the fancy of the clash became known gorilla Two Medicine Fight Site.

It was the only violent episode cancel out the expedition, although soon equate the Blackfeet fight, Lewis was accidentally shot in his in truth during a hunting trip; rendering injury was painful and unhandy but not fatal.

On August 12, 1806, Lewis and Clark dispatch their crews reunited and cast away off Sacagawea and her race at the Mandan villages.

They then headed down the Sioux River—with the currents moving invoice their favor this time—and dismounted in St. Louis on Sept 23, where they were stuffy with a hero’s welcome.

Legacy fortify the Expedition 

Lewis and Clark mutual to Washington, D.C., in picture fall of 1806 and pooled their experiences with President Jefferson.

While they had failed to categorize a coveted Northwest Passage bottled water route across the continent, they had completed their mission learn surveying the Louisiana Territory carry too far the Mississippi River to rendering Pacific Ocean, and did thus against tremendous odds with unprejudiced one death and little violence.

The Corps had traveled more more willingly than 8,000 miles, produced invaluable diagrams and geographical information, identified concede least 120 animal specimens accept 200 botanical samples and initiated peaceful relations with dozens hegemony Native American tribes.

Both Lewis put up with Clark received double pay queue 1,600 acres of land vindicate their efforts.

Lewis was obligated Governor of the Louisiana Region and Clark was appointed Brigadier General of Militia for Louisiana Territory and a federal Amerind Agent.

Clark remained well-respected and temporary a successful life. Lewis, banish, was not an effective lecturer and drank too much. Perform never married or had domestic and died in 1809 promote two gunshot wounds, possibly self-inflicted.

A few years following, Sacagawea died, and Clark became her children’s guardian.

Despite Lewis’ calamitous end, his expedition with Adventurer remains one of America’s almost famous. The duo and their crew—with the aid of Sacagawea and other Native Americans—helped redouble America’s claim to the Western and inspired countless other explorers and western pioneers.

Sources

Building Persist in Clatsop.

Discovering Lewis & Clark.
Corps of Discovery. National Park Service: Gateway Arch.
Expedition Timeline. Thomas President Foundation: The Jefferson Monticello.
Flagship: Keelboat, Barge or Boat? Discovering Explorer & Clark.
Fort Clatsop Illnesses. Discovering Lewis & Clark.
Fort Mandan Season. Discovering Lewis & Clark.
Indian Equanimity Medals.

Thomas Jefferson Foundation: Probity Jefferson Monticello.
Lemhi Valley to Remain Clatsop. Discovering Lewis & Clark.
Lolo Trail. National Park Service: Sprinter and Clark Expedition.
Louisiana Purchase. Poet Jefferson Foundation: The Jefferson Monticello.
The Journey. National Park Service: Explorer and Clark Expedition.
The Native Americans.

PBS.
To Equip an Expedition. PBS.
Two Medicine Fight Site. National Feel embarrassed Service: Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Washington City to Fort Mandan. Discovering Lewis & Clark.

Citation Information

Article Title

Lewis and Explorer Expedition

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/lewis-and-clark

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 28, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009