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Journey Begins
Lewis and Clark start their exploration upstream on the Missouri River. They started creating maps and studying rock formations, soil, animals, and plants along the way. They were always on the lookout for Indians hoping they would be peaceful. -
Heading Into Danger?
On August 2nd the men had their first encounter with Indians. The Indian encounter went well both sides exhanged greetings and gifts. At this time Charles Floyd became the first U.S soilder to die west of the Mississippi on August 20th. At the last week of August they discovered elk, buffalo, and beavers on the eastern edge of the Great Plains. When the men encountered the Yanton Sioux, the Sioux were not happy about the gifts they received and warned the Americans about the Sioux up river. -
The Tenton Sioux
As the Yankton Sioux had warned. the Tenton Sioux were disgusted by the gifts and greeted them with hostility. The Indians became threating and Clark drew is sword, and Lewis turned the gun on the Sioux. At the last moment both parties pulled back and the crisis was over. Winter was approching fast and the Americans have a pontential enemy behind them. -
Winter's Approach
Lewis and Clark tried to cover as many miles before the Missouri River froze. A few days after the first snowfall they reached the Mandan tribe's village where they planned to spend the winter. Without delay the began building a fort for protection of winter and attacks by the Sioux. Before the end of November temperatures dipped to below 0 and they finished their fort. Food began to dwindle and the captains would need to find meat for the men. -
Winter With The Mandan
The expedition members kept busy of the winter, hunting buffalo, repairing, and trading with the Indians. Here, they hired and interpreter Toussaint Charbonneau, a French Candadian living among the Hidatsa. Charbonneau, his wife Sacagawea, and their son Jean Baptiste would travel with the expedition when it was time to leave Mandan. Spring came and it was time to move on the expedition made canoes and pirogues. The expedition was going to go where no other American had gone before. -
Grizzly Country
Lewis and Clark now started heading west. They now entered Grizzly territory, the Indians warned them about the creatures but Lewis thought nothing of it. Until April 29th when Lewis and his men spotted a group of Grizzlies. They wounded one of the bears but the other charged at Lewis and chased him 80 yards until one of his colleagues was able to kill the bear. -
Rockies In Sight
In early May one of the ships was almost when a gust of wind put the vessel on it's side, Sacagawea was able to save the supplies. Lewis and Clark were growing anxious about seeing the Rockies and in the last week of May the saw the mountains for the first time, they were filled with joy but realized what challenged waited ahead. -
Fork In The River
On June 3rd the expedition came to a fork in the river. Lewis and Clark could not afford a mistake. Lewis decided to take three men with him and go up the southern branch and look for the Great Falls only then they would know they were on the Missouri -
Great Falls
On June 13th Lewis became the first white man to see the Great Falls of the Missouri River. By June 16th Lewis and Clark reunited and carried along with their journey. -
Continental Divide
Once across the Continental Divide the expedition could ride the Columbia River but to get from the Missouri River to the Columbia River they were going to need horses. They would need to require horses for the Shoshone tribe. But there was a great concern, they have not yet encounter any tribes.
