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The Journey Begins
Lewis and Clark set off on their journey. Around four dozen came along. They all traveled in a big boat called a keelboat. They also traveled with two smaller boats called pirogues. The keelboat was55 feet long and 8 feet wide, it was capable of caring 10 tons of supplies. -
Charles Floyd
Sergeant Charles Floyd becomes the first causality. It was probably an appendix burst that killed him. He was the first American soldier to die west of the Mississippi. Captains named where he died Floyd’s Bluff, and close by is Floyd’s river. -
Fort Mandan
The expedition reached the earth-lodge villages of the Mandans and Hidatsas. Around 4500 people lived there. That’s more than the people that lived in St. Louis or even Washington, D.C at the time. The captains the built fort Mandan across the river from the main village. -
Sacagawea
Sacagawea gives birth to a baby. The baby is a boy. His name is Jean Baptiste. Lewis made the delivery go faster by crushing up rattle snake rattles to make a powder. -
Wildlife
They found the wildlife to be astounding. There were
Herds of buffalo with up to 10,000. The exposition was eating 9 pounds of food a day. -
Hard Times
Prickly pear cactus, broiling heat, and hail storms (among other obstacles) marked the difficult portage. Instead of taking the half day the captains had originally planned the last winter, it took nearly a month. -
Negotiations
Lewis tried to negotiate to get some horses from a group of Shoshone tribe. He need them to cross the frightening mountains that was to come in their journey. Sacagawea was brought along to translate. The Shoshone chief just so happened to be Cameahwait, Sacagawea’s brother. -
Weippe Idaho
The expedition had been through a tough 11 days. They were running out of food. They even had to resort to butchering a horse because they needed the food. The snow was beginning to fall. The trip too much longer then everyone thought. However, when they finally got through the mountains, they came out near modern day Weippe, Idaho. -
The Sioux Tribe
The Sioux Tribe demanded one of the boat in order for them to move farther up the river. A fight almost happened if it weren’t for the chief of the Sioux Tribe. His name was Black Buffalo. The fight was avoided by a diplomacy Black Buffalo made. The expedition stayed with the tribe for three more anxious days. -
Pacific Storms
Fierce pacific storms, rolling waters, and high winds made them stay in one place for almost three weeks. -
Christmas at Clatsop
On Christmas they spent it at Fort Clatsop. They named it Fort Clatsop after a neighboring Indian tribe. The Captains gave out hankies of tobacco as Christmas presents. -
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Blackfeet Warriors
Lewis ran into 8 Blackfeet warriors. They stayed together but when the explorers woke up, they woke up to the Blackfeet warriors trying to steal their horses and guns. They fight and when they do two Blackfeet warriors were killed. Lewis left a peace medal around the neck of one dead warriors.
