The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark.
Who played an important role in the Lewis and Clark expedition?
Sacagawea. While at Fort Mandan, Lewis and Clark met French-Canadian trapper Toussaint Charbonneau and hired him as an interpreter. They allowed his pregnant Shoshone wife, Sacagawea, to join him on the expedition. Sacagawea had been kidnapped by Hidatsa Indians at age 12 and then sold to Charbonneau.
What was the most important part of the Lewis and Clark expedition?
Discovered New Plants and Animals
One of the most important results of the Lewis and Clark expedition was their “discovery” of hundreds of new plants and animals. These plants and animals weren’t truly discovered, it was merely the first time western explorers documented and introduced them to western civilization.
Who greatly helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition?
Sacagawea
Sacagawea was either 16 or 17 years old when she joined the Corps of Discovery. She met Lewis and Clark while she was living among the Mandan and Hidatsa in North Dakota, though she was a Lemhi Shoshone from Idaho.
Why was Meriwether Lewis important?
Meriwether Lewis, (born Aug. 18, 1774, near Charlottesville, Va. [U.S.]—died Oct. 11, 1809, near Nashville, Tenn., U.S.), American explorer, who with William Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the uncharted American interior to the Pacific Northwest in 1804–06.
Did Sacagawea help Lewis Clark?
What did Sacagawea do? While accompanying the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06), Sacagawea served as an interpreter. She also provided significant assistance by searching for edible plants and making moccasins and clothing.
What is Sacagawea best known for?
Sacagawea was an interpreter and guide for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s expedition westward from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. Though spelled numerous ways in the journals of expedition members, Sacagawea is generally believed to be a Hidatsa name (Sacaga means “bird” and wea means “woman”).
How many dogs did Lewis and Clark eat?
Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery ate over 200 dogs, bought from the Indians, while traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail, in addition to their horses, but Seaman was spared.
Who were Lewis and Clark and why is their expedition important?
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.
What two rivers were most important to the Lewis and Clark expedition?
The Expedition Begins
In December 1803, William Clark established “Camp Wood” at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, north of St. Louis.
Was Sacagawea forced to help Lewis and Clark?
Lewis and Clark met Charbonneau and quickly hired him to serve as interpreter on their expedition. Even though she was pregnant with her first child, Sacagawea was chosen to accompany them on their mission. Lewis and Clark believed that her knowledge of the Shoshone language would help them later in their journey.
Why was Sacagawea important to Lewis and Clark?
She was instrumental in the Lewis & Clark Expedition as a guide as they explored the western lands of the United States. Her presence as a woman helped dispel notions to the Native tribes that they were coming to conquer and confirmed the peacefulness of their mission.
How did Lewis and Clark treat Sacagawea?
She was cool in a crisis and helpful in identifying edible greens and roots in the High Plains. They called her Janey, and Clark was so fond of her he offered to educate her little boy, and did. Sacagawea also knew her home grounds, the Shoshone country in western Montana.
Why did Jefferson choose Lewis?
Meriwether Lewis, not knowing where he may be.” Jefferson gave two reasons for seeking the young Lewis: first his knowledge of the western country and the army and secondly, “A personal acquaintance with him, owing from his being of my neighborhood.”
Did Lewis and Clark have slaves?
An enslaved man was crucial to the Lewis and Clark expedition’s success. Clark refused to free him afterward. York had done his job superbly.
Was Lewis and Clark friends?
During their six months together, Clark and Lewis became close friends, and the foundation of their lasting relationship was formed.
Why is Sacagawea a hero?
Sacagawea served as the expedition’s guide through much of mountain country, and also helped identify edible roots and plants for men who were often on the verge of starving. Most importantly, however, her very presence served to disarm Native Groups, enabling the expedition to communicate and trade.
How much did Lewis and Clark pay Sacagawea?
nothing
York and Sacagawea received nothing. *The federal Land Act of 1804 established the value of western public lands at a minimum of $1.64 per acre.
Did Lewis and Clark have wives?
Immediately upon returning from the expedition, Clark married Julia Hancock (sometimes described as the fiancée who waited patiently for him, even though she was only twelve years old when he set out for the Pacific Coast), and upon her death he married Harriet Kennerly Radford. Lewis, on the other hand, never married.
Why did they put Sacagawea on a coin?
The Sacagawea Dollar coin was first released for circulation on January 27, 2000 with the purpose of honoring Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean.
Was Sacagawea deaf?
Sacagawea was not deaf. Her most important role in the Lewis and Clark expedition was as a translator. She spoke her native Shoshone language and Hidatsa, another Native American language.