Melody
Nov 27, 2017
Corps of Discovery
Introduction
Think of walking across the United States of America, down the Missouri River, through the plains, up and down the Rocky Mountains, and to the Pacific Ocean. Then think about walking down a path of unknown things. How is the west part of the United States now? Because someone snapped their fingers and suddenly people live their and we know everything about them. Or because someone said something along the line of I know everything about this place lets go and half of the Union suddenly ran west. No, of course not. The reason why we know so much about the west and there is so much people in the West now, is because of Lewis and Clark’s Expedition. That was the expedition that taught us about this new land. That was the Expedition that discovered a trail to the west and to the Pacific. Everyone on that trip is a reason why they succeeded, and this is the Corps of Discovery.
When is it and Where it is?
Lewis and Clark’s Expedition started on May 14, 1804 and ended on September 23, 1806. They were the first of Americans to cross the Western Continental Divide. They started their trip from St. Louis with a awful lot of stuff even though the brought as less stuff as they could.
Who are Lewis and Clark?
Who are Meriwether Lewis?
Lewis was born on Aug 18, 1774 and died on Oct 11, 1809. When Lewis was a little boy he wandered the woods and trained to be a leader. His mother was a herbalist so Lewis learned about plants, herbs, and how to treat wound. Lewis was a young man when he was asked to lead the expedition west as the Captain. One that changed today's United States. This Expedition was given to him by President Thomas Jefferson. Lewis was surprisingly President Thomas Jefferson’s securities, was an army captain, was in the army for seven years but the skill Tomas Jefferson needed from Lewis most was the skill that he was excellent explorer. Jefferson knew about how short tempered Lewis was and how much he drank but also recognize amazing courage and skill. Lewis was smart, fast, and strong which made sure the expedition had a chance to succeed. Then Captain Lewis choose Clark to be co-captain.
Who is William Clark?
Clark was born in Virginia on Aug 1, 1770 and died in Oct 11, 1838. Because they were too far away from a school when he was young a older brother would teach him. At the age of 19 Clark joined the army as an engineer but once went into Spanish Territory as an spy. It was in the army where Lewis and Clark meet each other. Lewis made up for Clark’s weaknesses and Clark balanced Lewis’s quick temper Clark also won respect from the Native Americans by treating them fairly and was an expert at drawing maps and charts. He drew most of the charts, pictures, and maps in the expedition. Without him half of the expedition would have no meaning to it.
What’s Needed for Getting Ready
What is the Trading list for?
To begin with, they knew they would meet a lot of Native American and because a big shopping list of stuff might just save them by trading for their freedom and trading for horses that would definitely help them get across the mountain of trade for food and guide. All sorts of things that might save their lives. They would bring knives, needles, combs, fishing hooks, beads, tobacco, cloth, and other things.
Do we Need Guides?
They realized that they would need more Native American speakers so they hired Charbonneau a French Canadian Fur Trapper and his wife, 16 year old Sacagawea. Later in the trip they found out how resourceful Sacagawea was. She proved that by helping them in bad times and saving their lives many times before. She knew the land on Louisiana Purchase better than anyone else on the Expedition and definitely helped when they came across the Shoshone tribe and her brother. Even though she is having a baby. They started near St. Louis in a camp called Camp Dubois. They had 50 men with them that if wasn’t there the expedition would have failed. Most of the men were French boatmen that helped them get across the 8000 mile of great unkown.
The Trip Took Two Years?
What is the Confusing Mapping?
They traveled through the many twist and turns of the Missouri River on keelboats that were so heavy that a bit more weight and the boats might go under. They wanted to find a Northwest passage but was stopped. But they still pushed on trying to find a way to the Pacific. Then they went through the plains and across the mountain with the help of Sacagawea’s brother’s tribe’s horses. Then they went over the Oregon Region and to the Pacific ocean on November 1805. When they got there Clark wrote was “Oh thee joy . . .” and that was all he could write. (Fun Fact:The Louisiana Purchase was only $15 million dollars, only 3 cents an acre and it double the size of the United States.) Along the way they found new things like the trout and Lewis announced that it was the best fish he has ever tasted. They also found others like the bison, and prairie dog and they actually sometimes called it the barking squirrels. They also ran into the grizzly bear that probably thought they were lunch and they barely escaped its wrath, that was the biggest animal they found. Then they found a fast and deadly animal but also the nicest of their type. The Rattlesnake. Clark nearly escaped getting bitten even more lucky. They found birds like the Nutcracker and the Woodpecker, then a shy Antelope, and plants like mountain cottonwood, bigleaf maple, and Engelmann's spruce are some plants they found. The first accident was on the was to the Pacific when Sergeant Charles Floyd died of what believed to be a burst appendix. They buried him near present day Sioux City, Iowa. He gladly was the only member that died. It took one and a half years to get to the Pacific but they only took half a year to get back.
What Native Americans They Encountered?
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ShoShone- The Shoshone tribe is Sacagawea and Camehawait’s tribe. Since she was kidnapped by the Hidatsa tribe as a kid she hasn't seen her brother or her friend, Jumping Fish, in a very long time.
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The Killamuck, Clatsops, and the Chinooks- they were similar to each other in clothing, habits, manners, and their remarkably flat head made by putting their head between boards at infancy so it doesn't hurt as it grows into the shape.
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Teton Sioux- they meet the Teton Sioux it September, and they nearly kept the Corps of Discovery as they docked but they let them go when they saw that the Corps of Discovery were partly armed and ready and they didn’t want any blood shed.
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Cameahwait- Cameahwait is Sacagawea’s brother. As a chief of a Shoshone tribe he traded them horses and a guide to get over the Rocky Mountains. If it wasn’t for that surprise encounter they would not have made the trip to the Pacific.
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Why the Corps of Discovery is important?
If they didn’t succeed, if they didn’t have unbelievable luck, and if they didn’t make it out alive then the Expedition would be a fail. If the expedition failed then we wouldn’t know about the West and to the Pacific or a trail to it. We then would have still been in the past right now struggling to keep up. Everything went okay they brought back precious information and we moved another big step on our gameboard that help us get to present day today.
Conclusion
The Expedition went the smoothes it could get. They succeeded with a few unfortunate accidents. They helped us get a big start on our project on learning about the West and the Pacific and everything inbetween. Without them we would have taken a lot longer time to learn about it. People would have been discouraged for many years before they try again and we would lag behind. So Lewis and Clark’s Expedition help a lot on our journey west.
What Happened Afterwards?
Lewis-
He was appointed governor by President Thomas Jefferson. Then because he was sad and depressed he started drinking again and then later he died of a bullet wound from who know who but some people thinks he shot himself because of how much worse his life was.
Clark-
He became a public official and helped with Native Americans. He married and had children. He also adopted Jean. Sacagawea’s son. Jean was Educated in Europe.
Sacagawea-
She was born in 1788 by Lemhi river Valley. No one knows what became of her. If she died young or old or how she died.
Bibliography
“Lewis & Clark” Kids Discover, New York, NY, 2004
Lewis and clark image:
Tribe map:
Antelope picture:
http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/antelope-numbers-down-in-eastern-montana/article_8ae1d0f6-cbd5-5c11-806b-8e3b6fb0d6b6.html
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