1804-06 Lewis and Clark Expedition Documentary
Who were Lewis and Clark?
In 1803 President Jefferson asked Captain Meriwether Lewis (his secretary) to form a group (Corps of Discovery) that would explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. Lewis chose William Clark to aid him in this journey.
Follow the journey through an interactive site
Flash Journey Log
What was the journey all about?
Click on each bolded word or phrase for an explanation.
In 1792,
President Thomas Jefferson had started his quest to map and explore the lands
west of St. Louis, and find a water route to the Pacific. This included geography, navigation, and other subjects that would
be needed on an exploration to the Pacific.
Jefferson’s
private secretary was a man named Meriwether Lewis. He had served in the would work together for
President Jefferson. The two were to share joint command as they explored, mapped, and studied a new route to the
Pacific.
How the states looked in 1803!
The Journey Path
Travel was by river and land from St. Louis, Missouri to the Oregon Coast (Fort Clatsop), and back again. States that were followed were: Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Image from Microsoft Gallery
View something about each state that was in the journey: Click on the state links below.
All Indian images from Microsoft Office Gallery.
Native Americans Lewis and Clark met along the journey.
Arikara Indians
Lewis and Clark found three Arikara villages, all located on a three-mile-long island at the mouth of what is now the Grand River. Altogether, some 2,000 Arikaras inhabited these villages, living primarily in earth lodges that were scattered across each village. The round, covered lodges were the first of this type that the expedition had encountered.
The Arikaras were primarily farmers. Their major crops were corn, beans and squash, but they also grew tobacco, watermelon and pumpkins.
Nez Perce Indians
The Nez Perce Indians lived in scattered villages in the Plains west of the Rocky Mountains. About 4,000 in number, they were excellent horsemen and fished for salmon on the Clearwater and Snake rivers.
The Nez Perce camps granted timely refuge for the expedition. The Corps stayed near the Indians from May to June, waiting for the snow to melt and render the mountain passable.
Sacajawea and the Shoshone Indians
At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Teton Sioux occupied two villages near present-day Pierre, South Dakota. Among French and Canadian traders, as well as other neighboring tribes, the Tetons were known for aggressiveness and power.
The Shoshone Indians, also known as the
Snake Nation, occupied areas both east and west of the Rocky Mountains. The
Shoshones lived in tepees and hunted buffalo.
Sacajawea a Shoshone Indian guide and interpreter is well-known as the Indian woman who led Lewis and Clark on their expedition to find the Pacific Ocean. However, Sacajawea was not officially a member of the expedition party. Her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, was hired as an interpreter and took Sacajawea along. She was allowed to join the party as an unofficial member because the captains thought she would be useful to help in communicating with some of the Indian tribes they met and also in obtaining horses from her native tribe.
Teton Sioux Indians
Teton Sioux Indians
At the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Teton Sioux occupied two villages near present-day Pierre, South Dakota. Among French and Canadian traders, as well as other neighboring tribes, the Tetons were known for aggressiveness and power.
There were a number of confrontations between the Tetons and the expedition. No one in the Corps of Discovery spoke Sioux, and the inability of the two groups to communicate effectively played a significant part in several misunderstandings.
Yankton Sioux Indians
Teepees, conical tents constructed out of painted buffalo skins, were a common sight near the mouth of the James River. The mouth of the James, located in present-day southern South Dakota, was in the territory of the Yankton Sioux.
The Yanktons’ talks with Lewis and Clark were not successful. The Yanktons wanted rifles, ammunition and possibly whiskey from the Americans, but they were to get none of these. Instead, they received and accepted an invitation to send a delegation to Washington D.C., where they might begin trade discussions with President Jefferson.
Mandan Indians
Teepees, conical tents constructed out of painted buffalo skins, were a common sight near the mouth of the James River. The mouth of the James, located in present-day southern South Dakota, was in the territory of the Yankton Sioux.
The Yanktons’ talks with Lewis and Clark were not successful. The Yanktons wanted rifles, ammunition and possibly whiskey from the Americans, but they were to get none of these. Instead, they received and accepted an invitation to send a delegation to Washington D.C., where they might begin trade discussions with President Jefferson.
Mandan Indians
The Mandan Indians lay at the center of trade along the Upper Missouri River, inhabiting what is now central North Dakota. At the time of Lewis and Clark’s arrival, they lived in two villages, Matootonha and Rooptahee. The Corps of Discovery reached the villages in 1804 and stayed the winter the river from Matootonha.
Lewis and Clark’s hope for a Mandan peace with the Arikaras and plan to reside nearby for the winter months were accepted and agreed to by the Mandan leaders. Still, in spite of peace talks between the Arikaras and the Mandans conflict broke out again between the two tribes as winter approached.
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