| The American explorers, Captains Meriwether | | | | by medically treating the old and ailing tribespeople |
| Lewis and William Clark, knew long before they | | | | there. In one case, a completely paralyzed old |
| left on their westward 1804 Corps-of-Discovery | | | | chieftain began to move his limbs after the corps |
| exploratory expedition that the success of their | | | | gave him daily steam-bath treatments. |
| journey depended on their careful preparation | | | | * Throughout the entire journey, the native tribes |
| beforehand and the experience and readiness of | | | | gave the expedition geographical tips, directions, |
| their crew. During that epic 28-month journey | | | | rough maps, food, lodging, support, and services. |
| from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, | | | | They lodged their horses, and taught them how |
| they roughed it through the unexplored northwest | | | | to burnout and use log canoes. |
| wilderness via the Missouri, Columbia, and smaller | | | | 3. Diversity and teamwork |
| rivers, and the Rocky Mountains. They met and, in | | | | * As rugged woodsmen and, in some cases, |
| most cases, befriended 50 Native American tribes | | | | half-breeds, the crew members had diverse |
| along the way. They also faced multiple dangers | | | | abilities. They worked well together. They were |
| and hardships daily. To make that hazardous | | | | scouts, hunters, sharpshooters, guards, fishermen, |
| 8000-mile round-camping trip alive, they needed | | | | boatmen, boat/canoe makers, horsemen, soldiers, |
| healthy, skilled crew members and sufficient | | | | blacksmiths, gunsmiths, repairmen, trappers, |
| supplies and luck to do it successfully. Four of their | | | | campers, hikers, carpenters, traders, fiddlers, |
| accomplishments are listed below. | | | | entertainers, cooks, tailors, negotiators, salt |
| 1. They made their way to the Pacific Ocean and | | | | makers, nurses, and interpreters (English, French, |
| back with only one loss of life, apparently to | | | | Spanish, Indian, and signing). |
| appendicitis. | | | | * The presence of a woman, Sacagawea and her |
| 2. They informed the Native American tribes met | | | | baby son, among the corps was a sign of peace |
| on the way of their new U.S. leadership, and | | | | to the tribes along the way. This fortunate |
| bartered with them for food, survival, peace, and | | | | situation prevented many potential conflicts with |
| future trade. | | | | the tribes met. Sacagawea was the cool-headed |
| 3. They discovered and documented 300 new | | | | wife of one of the hired interpreters. She was |
| plants and animals. | | | | also an excellent gatherer of wild edibles and |
| 4. They kept hand written journals of their | | | | part-time guide. Additionally, she turned out to be |
| journey, and made numerous maps of it. | | | | the sister to an important tribal chief, the one |
| Much of their success can be summarized in the | | | | who gave the expedition the horses and guide for |
| following five areas. | | | | crossing the mountains. Toward the end of their |
| 1. Preparing for the expedition (experience, | | | | return journey, Clark wrote to her interpreter |
| training, and supplies) | | | | husband, "Your woman...diserved a greater reward |
| 2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans | | | | for her attention and services on that rout than |
| 3. Diversity and teamwork | | | | we had in our power to give her." |
| 4. Exploratory river route taken | | | | * Clark's personal slave, York, was tall, strong, |
| 5. Making it back alive. | | | | and personable. The plains tribes and their children |
| 1. Preparing for the expedition | | | | admired him greatly. He, along with Sacagawea, |
| * Spearheaded by President Thomas Jefferson, | | | | became highly important members to the |
| the expedition was a government-sponsored | | | | expedition. |
| military project that took many months of | | | | * Lewis' black 115-pound Newfoundland dog, |
| advanced preparation and training together with | | | | Seaman, guarded their night camps against |
| the gathering of large amounts of supplies. Thus, | | | | wolves, bison, and grizzlies. |
| when the expedition departed from the St Louis | | | | 4. Exploratory river route taken |
| area in May of 1804, it comprised three large | | | | * The expedition's route was far enough north |
| armed boats carrying 30-tons of supplies and | | | | that four armed companies sent out by a |
| more than 30 skilled crew members, mostly | | | | southwestern Spanish governor to find and stop |
| soldiers. The soldiers were dressed in military | | | | them, never did. |
| uniforms and regalia. Their supplies included food, | | | | * Much of the route was done on rivers and |
| water, bedding, baggage, clothing, 21-bales of gifts | | | | waterways, which gave the expedition a clear |
| for the native tribes, and much equipment for | | | | pathway to follow with minimum surprises, except |
| navigating, camping, hunting, fishing, cooking, | | | | for the strong turbulence of the Missouri River |
| trading, blacksmithing, constructing (two winter | | | | and the difficulty of crossing the Rocky Mountains. |
| forts), doctoring, writing, map-making, exploring, | | | | Yet, they were able to boat and canoe these |
| and defending themselves. The expedition had | | | | rivers, and to cross the Bitterroot Range on |
| ample manpower and supplies to start the trip. | | | | horseback over known native trails. |
| * Lewis and Clark were healthy, seasoned, highly | | | | * This route also allowed the Corps to see and |
| capable leaders. Before departing, Lewis received | | | | experience firsthand the West's vast native |
| extra training on astronomy, medicine, and natural | | | | cultures, endless masses of game and wildlife, and |
| science in Philadelphia. | | | | lush pristine vistas in all seasons. |
| * The selected crew members were disciplined, | | | | 5. Making it back alive |
| rugged outdoors-men, trained for failure, success, | | | | * The expedition overcame endless hardships and |
| and dealing with the wilderness and the unknown. | | | | close calls daily. Such hardships included lack of |
| * Unexpectedly, the Louisiana Purchase occurred | | | | privacy, sickness, boils, sores, accidental injuries |
| just before the expedition departed. Thus, except | | | | and knife/gunshot wounds, falls/spills, biting insects |
| for the northwest Oregon region, the corps | | | | (many), poisonous snakes, thorny plants, bad |
| explored the Louisiana Purchase as a new section | | | | weather, extreme temperatures, violent storms, |
| of their own country. | | | | hail, flooding, getting lost, stress, starvation, |
| 2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans | | | | exhaustion, aches, pains, encounters with wild |
| * Most of the northwestern tribes were friendly. | | | | carnivorous animals (bears), depletion of trade |
| They were receptive to future trade with the | | | | goods, and potential death. |
| U.S. for modern wares and hunting equipment. As | | | | * After crossing back over the mountains on their |
| a result, the corps enjoyed many councils, gift | | | | return trip, the expedition divided into four groups |
| exchanges, peace-medal presentations, marching | | | | to explore certain sections near two rivers, the |
| parades, pow-wows, feasts, dances, | | | | Marias and Yellowstone. This temporary division |
| demonstrations, and outdoor games with these | | | | spread them thin. All or any of these smaller |
| tribes. | | | | groups could have been wiped out without the |
| * Yet, on the way northwest, a large South | | | | others knowing what had happened to them. |
| Dakota tribe wanted ransom for river passage. | | | | Eventually, however, they all regrouped |
| But their level-headed chief kept it from going too | | | | successfully on the Missouri River. |
| far, which prevented a heated argument early in | | | | * When the corps made it back to St Louis, they |
| the trip. | | | | were in dugout canoes and one boat, wearing |
| * During their sub-zero winter encampment in | | | | buckskins, and "looking like Robinson Crusoe's." |
| North Dakota, a large agricultural tribe nearby | | | | In summary, when the expedition returned to St |
| traded their stored dried corn for the expedition's | | | | Louis in September of 1806 to the surprise of |
| blacksmithing and medical skills. This corn gave the | | | | everyone, the welcoming crowd was ecstatic. By |
| expedition a more balanced diet than the wild | | | | that time, most of the U.S. had thought the corps |
| game alone. | | | | had died or vanished. No one had heard from |
| * Further west, a large mountain-plains tribe | | | | them since the spring of 1805. Thus, after their |
| provided the expedition with a guide, horses, and | | | | return, many speeches and celebrations took |
| several human pack carriers for their climb over | | | | place in St Louis and elsewhere. Lewis and Clark |
| the Rocky Mountains. These provisions were | | | | were appointed the Governor of the Louisiana |
| made even though the tribe itself was starving, | | | | Purchase and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, |
| and was eager to go find meat at the time. | | | | respectively. Also, Lewis, Clark, and their crew |
| * On the other side of these mountains, another | | | | members received sizeable land grants in Missouri |
| powerful tribe wanted to kill the weary expedition | | | | for their successful journey. |
| for its guns and plunder. But, an old woman there | | | | Much of the corps' success can be attributed to |
| who had been treated well by the whites earlier in | | | | their being diversely well-prepared for that long |
| Canada intervened. She saved them. This same | | | | dangerous journey, and to their ability to work |
| tribe then fed the cold starving expedition who | | | | well together while making their own luck along |
| had been eating everything from candles to colt | | | | the way. They also had ample supplies to start |
| meat during their late-season mountains passage. | | | | with, which allowed them to adapt to their |
| * During their return from the Pacific and while | | | | changing situations routinely, and to overcome the |
| waiting for the mountain snows to thaw, the | | | | numerous hardships they encountered. |
| corps earned their keep with a large friendly tribe | | | | |