Everyone knows of Lewis’ and Clark's adventure, but, have you ever stopped to think of the impact on Native Americans? In every story we normally hear from the winners perspective, while the other side's story gets shoved to the side. Meriweather Lewis was 27 when he became a personal secretary for Thomas Jefferson. Lewis recruited the help of William Clark due to Clark's abilities as a draftsman and frontiersman, which were even stronger than Lewis's. Lewis had a lot of respect for Clark so he made him a co-commanding captain of the Expedition, even though Clark was never recognized as such by the government. Lewis’ and Clark's expedition was one of the most significant expeditions in American history. There were several impacts of Lewis …show more content…
“Lewis and Clark traveled over 8,000 miles in less than 2 1/2 years, losing only one member of their party, at a total cost to the taxpayer of $40,000 (NPS, 2021).” Lewis and Clark’s team mapped uncharted land, rivers, and mountains. “They brought back journals filled with details about Native American tribes and scientific notes about plants and animals they’d never seen before. They also brought back stories—tales that made other Americans dream about heading west (National Geographics for kids, N.D).” They set up camp in Fort Mandan, near modern day Bismarck and made many relationships with the nearby tribes. Every time they came upon Native Americans, they would present a Jefferson Indian Peace Medal which was a coin with Thomas Jefferson engraved on one side and two holding hands beneath a tomahawk and peace pipe on the other. “This was a sign of friendship and the promise that the U.S. government would honor treaties. (Reich, J. Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, …show more content…
“Last night it became cold and this morning we had snow; our hunters were sent out for buffaloe but the game had been frightened from the river by the Indians, so they obtained only one, also killed a hare and wolf (January 3, 1805 - Lewis's journal).” One buffaloe is nearly enough meet to feed the entire crew that Lewis had with him. So he had to act fast on how to get more game to provide for his crew. Winter is just around the corner and Lewis is going to need to start thinking of winter coats to keep them warm, and not to mention all the animals that will be moving on to better grazing
In Captain Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, they successfully made it across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, opening the previously occupied western region for trade routes. Their unforgettable adventure led to the first reports of the American West. Over the course of the exhibition Lewis and Clark interacted with almost 50 different tribes. The trail of tears, fewer than 10 tribes were interacted with and they were just forced to move.
Lewis and Clark had a profound impact on the historical development of the United States, expanding the nation's understanding of its geography, and shaping the country's connection with Native Americans. The Geography of the Louisiana Purchase led to the development of many things. After realizing that the Northwest Passage didn’t exist, they
Being the president, Jefferson had wanted the recently gained land to be explored to be aware of what it contained. As a result, the United States' government provide money to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for exploration. This was known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition which had taken place from May 1804 to November 1805 when Lewis and Clark explored the territory. Stated by Heather LeBlanc, “Along the way they charted trails, mapped river and mountain ranges, collected samples and wrote descriptions of unfamiliar plants and animals, and recorded facts about the Native American tribes they encountered along their journey.” The discovery of these untapped resources allowed the Americans to make profit by selling them to other country’s that did not contain them.
The group is very low on supplies, Lewis and Clark use Sacagawea to negotiate trade between an Indian tribe led by her brother, for the supplies that they would need to continue. Additional help would come to them from the Nez Perce' tribe when the Corps of Discovery crossed the largest portion of the Rocky Mountains. When they reached the Pacific Ocean, looked south of the Columbia River to find a place to stay for the winter. There they built Fort Clatsop and waited out the winter. Traveling back, Lewis and Clark split the group into two, Lewis going on to explore the Marias River.
Lewis and Clark took everything from clothing, weaponry, and camping equipment to medicine and gifts to present to the Indians upon encounter with the several tribes of the land. Their mode of transportation for their crew of four dozen was carried out through the use of a 55-feet-long keel boat along with two smaller pirogues. Alteration to their form of transportation and obtainment of food changed as resources dwindled the further they ventured into the unknown. Their expenses amounted to a whopping
“The Lewis and Clark Expedition paddled its way down the Ohio as it prepared the Expedition to be launched officially from Camp Wood, just outside St. Louis, in the summer of 1804” (2), and the Corps of Discovery’s official mission would commence near the outskirts of St. Louis in 1804 where they would move upstream of the Missouri River to a place called Fart Mandan that was used at a trading post where they would wait out the winter. The Corps were tested with several bumps in the road that would slow and threatened the journey like the insects they would encounter, heat they would have to endure and injuries that were unavoidable given the working conditions they were under. There was a man by the name of Charles Floyd, that Lewis and Clark liked the most out of the crew, died of what was labeled as his appendix bursting and was “the only person to die on the two and one-half year journey.” As they continued forward in their quest they eventually make it to a village inhabited by the Mandan Indians whom belonged to a large trade network in the West. This is where they recruited a Frenchman by the name of Toussaint Charbonneau, that they would use as a means of translation between their current
Despite what many might think, "Undaunted Courage" by Steven Ambrose is an excellent non-fiction adventure about the journey of Lewis and Clark. This book rekindled my interest in the Lewis and Clark Exhibition and I would recommend it to all. An excellent book that forces one to appreciate not just Lewis and Clark, but all Americans who took great risks to allow us to live as we do. In many standard books, it is said that Lewis death was an accident or a murder, while in "Undaunted Courage" his death has ruled a suicide. I had also learned that the only people on this journey were Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and a young Indian named Sacagawea, a young Indian who had been captured by Lewis and Clark to serve as a guide.
As main author of the website, Lewis and Clark, Drake Allen wrote that on May 14, 1804 the caravan of approximately 45 men left St. Louis headed up the river. As time passed, twelve men headed back home to bring back samples of animals and plants to Thomas Jefferson. The twelve men would also report how the expedition was carrying out. Shortly into the trip, Lewis and his crew began to encounter conflicts that would greatly lower the moral of the journey. Roughly five months into the trip, the caravan of boats crossed into Teton Sioux land and the indians quickly
Lewis and Clark Expedition Thomas Jefferson once said “ The work we are doing is, I trust, done for posterity, in such a way that they need not repeat it. We shall delineate with correctness the great arteries of this great country; those who came after us will fill up the canvas we begin” In 1803, Thomas Jefferson purchased the louisiana territory from France. The urge to explore the new lands and find new waterways overcome Jefferson and in 1804 the trip began. “This was a huge tract of over 800,000 square miles, taking in nearly the entire mid-section of North America from present-day Texas and Louisiana up to Montana and North Dakota. This almost doubled the size of the new country”.
the Lewis & Clark expedition, or the Corps of Discovery, began in 1804 and was given permission by President Thomas Jefferson to venture into the newly purchased western territories of Louisiana. France sold the United States the entire territory of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. This enormous tract of land “doubled the size of the United States” empire and was sold to us for “less than three cents per acre” (First Americans, pp. 251). The expedition was headed by two men named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Their goals included exploring, mapping, and documenting every aspect of discovery along the Missouri River all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
“Lewis and Clark made the first detailed maps for fur traders, missionaries, and pioneers who later ventured into the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and led the West Coast.” (Textbook Page 135) Without the maps they wouldn’t have know we’re they were going or what to look for. Thanks to Lewis and Clark it showed the Americans everything they needed to know about the western half of the United States and allowed them to feel
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are well-known for their exploration westward in an effort to expand the United States territory. Lewis and Clark were charged with exploring the Louisiana territory, mapping the territory and water routes, recording land resources, establishing trade with the Native American people, and claiming the land in the West for the United States. During the expedition, Lewis and Clark had encounters with over 50 different Native American tribes, and in order to expand in the West, Thomas Jefferson encouraged Lewis and Clark to treat the Native American Indians in a friendly and non-hostile manner. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were respectful to the Native Americans because they learned about each tribe’s culture,
In addition, another one of the ways I admire the Lewis and Clark Expedition is reaching the Pacific Ocean. This was the reason for the expedition and accomplishing that was definitely a victory for the men and even America. In The Captain’s Dog, after reaching their destination of the
The Lewis and Clark expedition which took place between 1804 and 1806 is one of the most iconic events in American history. It was a journey of discovery, exploration, and scientific inquiry, and it helped to establish the United States claim to the Pacific Northwest. Led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the expedition was a remarkable achievement, and its impact on American society and culture. The expedition began in the spring of 1804 when Lewis and Clark along with a group of about forty men set out from St. Louis, Missouri on a mission to explore the western territories of the United States.
Members chosen for the expedition were sought after for skills that included hunting, blacksmithing, and gunsmithing, making United States Army soldiers a good option for crew who traveled by land, water and horseback, for nearly 8,000 miles over mountains, through plains and by rivers (The Lewis and Clark Expedition, 2016). The success of the Lewis and Clark expedition was important to science, as they made important observations about the land of North America that lead to creation of maps with Captain Clark having the duty of mapping the landscape because of his experience: the result of maps made by Clark became one of the most important achievements of the western exploration. (The Lewis and Clark Expedition, 2016). The scientific information collected on geography, meteorology, cultures, and animal life and plant life were greatly important to the nation (Corps of Discover, 2016). The trip also was partially useful in creating peaceful relations with the American Indians in territories of the Northwest, although not all tribes were accepting of the gestures, giving gifts was important to building peaceful relationships with the American Indians (The Corp of Discovery, 2016).