A Walk in Time with Lewis and Clark
  
Read the information, then answer the question.
“Lewis tied up at Clarksville and set off to meet his partner (William Clark), who was living with his older brother, General George Rogers Clark. When they shook hands, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began.”
Stephen Ambrose – author “Undaunted Courage” 1996
The Explorers:
CAPTAIN MERIWETHER LEWIS (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) – Born near Charlottesville, Virginia, worked for President Jefferson, and was a skilled frontiersman, a natural born botanist and amateur scientist.
SECOND LIEUTENANT WILLIAM CLARK (August 1, 1770 – June 27, 1838) – Born near Charlottesville, Virginia. Clark was six feet tall, red-haired, brave, and experienced with Indians.
YORK - Clark's Negro servant who was since their childhood, a life-long companion of Clark. York was large sized, and very strong. The Indians considered him Great Medicine.
SACAGAWEA- At about age 12, she was kidnapped by a war party of Hidatsa Indians -- enemies of her people, the Shoshones. She and her husband, Charbonneau, became interpreters for the Corps.
SEAMAN- Captain Lewis’ Newfoundland dog, who was much admired by the Indians for how smart it was. The Indians offered to trade for Seaman, but Lewis always refused. Lewis paid $20 to buy Seaman.
The Mission: (1803 – 1806)
President Jefferson charged Lewis and Clark to explore the Missouri River and other rivers to find a water course all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
The Journey:
1) Falls of the Ohio - October 14, 1803: Captain Meriwether Lewis arrives at The Falls and meets Captain William Clark and Clark’s slave York. Over 2 weeks the Captains select “9 young men from Kentucky” as the first members of the Corps of Discovery, then set out for St. Louis.
Lewis & Clark took with them, the most advanced technology of their day in weapons, instruments and medicine.
If you were to take this journey of discovery today, what would you take with you?
Look across the Ohio River. (Click on the link at the left to see a photograph.)
How do you think it has changed since Lewis & Clark started their expedition here?
2) Camp Wood (Illinois, near St. Louis) – December 7, 1803: Made camp and prepared to spend the winter of 1803–1804. Camp Wood had plenty of game, timber and pioneer settlers nearby. On May 14, 1804 the Expedition pushed on up the Missouri River, fishing & hunting daily for food.
With hearty young men stuck for the winter with no place to go, there were discipline problems.
If you were one of the leaders, how would deal with discipline of expedition members?
3) Council Bluff (Iowa) - August 3, 1804: While camped here they met with the first Native Americans encountered on their journey. Tribal representatives from the Missouris and the Otos Indians visited the Corps of Discovery camp. The Indians were given peace medals, and other gifts.
“We landed…near the foot of a round mountain, which I saw yesterday, resembling a dome. Captain Lewis and myself walked up to the top…discovered a village of small animals that burrow in the ground…and contains great numbers of holes on the top of which those little animals sit erect, and make a whistling noise…Those animals are about the size of a small squirrel…His tail like a ground squirrel, which they shake, and whistle when alarmed. ”
Captain Clark, 7 September 1804
They captured one and sent it to Thomas Jefferson, alive.
What animal is Captain Clark describing? Why is it valuable to describe new animals and collect specimens?
4) Fort Mandan (North Dakota) – October 24, 1804: The Expedition discovers earth lodge villages of the Mandan and Hidatsas Indians. There were 4,500 Indians living in this area…more than in St. Louis and Washington. The Captains decided to build Fort Mandan across the river from the main village. Here they would spend the winter, with temperatures reaching -45 degrees F. The Indians were hearty, and could camp overnight with no fire and only a buffalo robe to cover them.
What would you need to live outdoors in the winter and survive today?
5) A Fork in the Missouri River (Montana) – June 2, 1805: The Expedition comes to a fork in the river. Lewis and Clark believe the south fork to be the Missouri, while all of the other men believe it to be the north fork. Lewis explored the north fork for 9 days and 60 miles, convincing himself its direction was too far north to be the Missouri. Clark explored the south fork. The Captains held the south fork was the correct route.
Why do you think the men were willing to follow a route they thought was wrong?
6) Camp Fortunate (Idaho) – August 13, 1805: The Corps must beat the snow over the mountains or die. They desperately needed horses…success and survival depended on it. Lewis, leading a small advance party met the Shoshone Chief Cameahwait (Never Walks) and 60 warriors. While Lewis was in the Shoshone village negotiating for horses, Clarks party and Sacagawea neared the village. Then occurred one of the greatest coincidences in American History. Sacagawea saw Shoshones approaching, and she was asked to interpret. While doing so, she recognized Chief Cameahwait as her brother. The Chief agreed to sell Lewis all the horses he needed. The Corps named the location Camp Fortunate in recognition of their good luck.
Have you had a coincident in your life that developed into a “fortunate” situation? Describe it.
On August 31, the Corps left Camp Fortunate with 29 horses & 1 mule, led by a Shoshone guide called Old Toby who told them of a rugged northern route through the mountains used by the Indians. After 11 days and a 165-mile ordeal, having endured cold, blinding snow, hunger and malnutrition, the Corps wandered out of the mountains barely alive.
7) The Nez Percé (September 1805) – In their most desperate time of the journey, they discovered another Indian tribe…the Nez Percé. These were the first white people the Nez Percé had ever seen. They decided to befriend and fed the starving men, saving their lives. With the help of the Nez Percé, the Corps made canoes, using fire to hollow out the trees. Now, after nearly two months they were back on a river, with the current carrying them onward for the first time.
How would you feel about welcoming strangers into your home today?
8) On the Columbia River (Washington State) – October 18, 1805: Clark sees Mount Hood in the distance, proof they are at last approaching the Pacific Ocean: but first, they have to pass through the raging falls of the Columbia Gorge; travel through the dry lands of eastern Washington, and forge into the thick rainforest of the Pacific Northwest.
Clark noted that Indian tribes were very different. Along the Columbia River they lived in large mat houses, wore fewer clothes and had as many canoes as horses. Other Indians living in the rain forests wore clothes made from cedar bark, lived in houses made of wooden planks, and had canoes that were much better than those of the Corps. They even flattened their children’s heads as a mark of beauty and distinction.
Would you enjoy meeting people from different cultures than your own, or would you be uncomfortable or scared?
9) Chinook Point (on the Columbia River) & Fort Clatsop (Winter 1805 – 1806) - November 24, 1805: Having reached the Pacific Ocean, Lewis & Clark now needed to make the difficult decision of where to spend the winter. The Captains decided to put the matter to a vote. Even York and Sacagawea were allowed to vote. The majority decides to cross to the south side of the Columbia, near modern-day Astoria, Oregon, to build winter quarters at Fort Clatsop.
What was unusual about York and Sacagawea being given the right to vote? Should they have been allowed to vote? Why?
10) With the Nez Percé (West of the Bitterroot Mountains) – After leaving Fort Clatsop in March 1806, the expedition arrived back with the Nez Percé in May, but have to wait for the snows to melt on the Bitterroots Mountains before trying to cross them. Lewis called the Nez Percé “the most hospitable, honest and sincere people that we have met with in our voyage.”
After five weeks, despite the Nez Percé warning, they started out toward the Bitteroots, but ran into snow banks 12 feet deep, and had to turn back. A week later in late June they tried again, this time with Nez Percé guides.
Living outdoors made the Corps very dependent on nature. What do you think the Nez Percé knew that Lewis & Clark didn’t know?
Further Exploration & the Fast Journey Home – The Captains had decided they could now explore more of the Louisiana Territory without seriously delaying their return, if they split into 4 smaller groups, and agreed to meet again in 1 month where the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers meet.
If you had been on an expedition for over 2 years and had to live like they did, would you want to explore more or head back home?
11) Journey’s End (St. Louis) – September, 1806: Speeding home with the Missouri’s current, they cover up to 70 miles a day, often not even stopping to hunt in order to get back sooner. They pay their respects at the grave of Charles Floyd, their only casualty; and begin meeting boat after boat of American traders already heading upriver into this newest section of the nation. They reach St. Louis on Sept. 23, having been gone nearly two and a half years; they had been given up for dead by the citizens, who greet the explorers enthusiastically. This was their last day as the Corps of Discovery.
What would you expect after returning from a journey like this today? What kind of a homecoming do you think the Corps of Discovery would get today?
- Congress awarded the men double pay & 300 acres of land each. The Captains received 1600 acres of land.
- York was once again a slave and received nothing. Five years later Clark granted him his freedom.
- Lewis became Governor of the Louisiana Territory.
- Clark was appointed Indian Agent; and after Lewis’ death became the Govenor of Missouri. He died September 1, 1836 at the age of 69
Links of interest
PBS OnLine - http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/
University of Virginia – Journals of Lewis & Clark - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/JOURNALS/toc.html
National Geographic (inter-active) - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/index.html
Discovering Lewis & Clark - http://www.lewis-clark.org/
Updated February 2, 2010
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