Lewis and Clark (Watts Library)
What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer the
1. What year was Meriwether
1774. Meriwether Lewis was born in Albermarle County, Virginia,
on August 18, 1774.
Meriwether's father was Lieutenant William
Lewis. William fought in the Revolutionary War, and in 1779, he
died of pneumonia. Meriwether's mother was Lucy Meriwether Lewis
Marks. She taught Meriwether about the natural world such as trees,
shrubs, birds, and insects. Meriwether and his mother remained
close. In 1780, Meriwether's mother married Captain John Marks.
Marks introduced Meriwether to the wilderness. When Meriwether
was eight years old, he and Marks went to Georgia to help establish
a new settlement.
When Meriwether Lewis was twenty-one years
old, he joined the U.S. Army. Within a year, he was assigned to
an elite company of riflemen. His captain was William Clark. Lewis
and Clark had many similarities. They were both from Virginia.
They both had extensive wilderness experiences. They both had
served in the militia and the U.S. Army. They were both six feet
tall. Lewis and Clark were also different. Lewis was quieter,
more thoughtful, and moody. Clark was outgoing and even-tempered.
Lewis was better educated. Clark had been raised to be a man of
Did you know
Meriwether Lewis was President Jefferson's personal secretary
when he was chosen to lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
2. What year was William
1770. William Clark was born in Caroline County, Virginia, on
August 1, 1770. He was the youngest of six sons and the ninth
child in a family of ten. When Clark was fourteen, he moved with
his family to Louisville, Kentucky. William Clark's older brother
was George Rogers Clark. George was a Revolutionary War hero.
In Kentucky, George taught William about soldiering, wilderness
skills, and American Indians.
In 1789, Clark joined the Kentucky militia,
and in 1791, he joined the U.S. Army. In 1795, Clark was given
command of an elite rifle company at Fort Greenville, Ohio. One
of the men in this company was Meriwether Lewis. Lewis and Clark
had many similarities. They were both from Virginia. They both
had extensive wilderness experiences. They both had served in
the militia and the U.S. Army. They were both six feet tall. Lewis
and Clark were also different. Lewis was quieter, more thoughtful,
and moody. Clark was outgoing and even-tempered. Lewis was better
educated. Clark had been raised to be a man of action.
3. Which of the following
was the goal of the Lewis & Clark Expedition?
a) Find the Fountain of Youth
b) Explore the Seven Cities of Gold
c) Explore the North Pole
d) Find a water route across America to the Pacific Ocean
d) Find a water route across America to
the Pacific Ocean. Before Thomas Jefferson became president, he
tried three times to organize expeditions to the land west of
the Mississippi River. He was interested in discovering new plants,
animals, and minerals. In 1803, Jefferson became President of
the United States, and he formed this expedition.
The goal of the expedition was to find
a water route across America to the Pacific Ocean. As Jefferson
stated, the aim of the expedition would be to explore the Missouri
River to find "the most direct and practicable water communication
across the continent for purposes of commerce."
The official name of the expedition was
the Corps of Discovery. The team was to chart their course using
the sun and moon, observe and learn from the American Indians,
and to note and record plant life, animal life, and the mineral
Thomas Jefferson choose Meriwether Lewis
to lead the expedition. To prepare for the journey, Lewis met
with Andrew Ellicot (an astronomer and mathematician), Albert
Gallatin (a map collector), and Dr. Benjamin Rush (a physician).
Lewis took lessons in botany from Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton, and
collected books on science and geography.
In June, 1803, Lewis asked William Clark
to co-command the Corps of Discovery. This expedition was a military
venture, and shared command is rare in the military. In this case,
however, it worked. Lewis and Clark worked as a team, and there
is no record of any serious disagreements between them.
At the time Lewis and Clark were preparing
for their expedition, the map of the continent was empty in the
west. From the east, fur trappers had sailed up the Missouri River
as far as present-day North Dakota. From the west, merchant ships
had sailed up the Columbia River. The territory in between North
Dakota and the Columbia River was unknown to the United States
or Europe. This was the area Lewis and Clark would explore and
Maps showed the Missouri River started
near the mountains in the west and headed east. Maps also showed
the Columbia River started near the same mountains and headed
west. Lewis and Clark were hopeful these two rivers started near
each other. This way traders in boats could travel back and forth
with ease across the continent. Lewis and Clark would soon realize
the mountains in between the two rivers were not a short distance
apart. Instead, the steep Rocky Mountains lay in between.
Lewis and Clark brought compasses and other
navigating and map-making devices. Lewis invented a watertight
container made of lead to hold gunpowder, and he designed a new
rifle for the journey. They brought the best medicines available
at the time, flannel shirts, blankets, and backpacks. They also
brought presents for the American Indians, including mirrors,
tobacco, brass kettles, and 4,600 sewing needles.
On August 31, 1803, Lewis left Pittsburgh
and traveled down the Ohio River. Two months later, he met Clark
in Indiana. Lewis and Clark recruited twenty-seven members, including
soldiers, woodsmen, and farmers. They set up winter camp in Illinois,
near where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers meet.
4. What year did the
Lewis and Clark Expedition begin from St. Louis?
1804. The Lewis and Clark Expedition left St. Louis on May 14,
1804. They headed west up the Missouri River.
The expedition used a keelboat to travel
up the Missouri River. In the early 1800's, a keelboat was the
preferred craft for rivers. Their keelboat was 55 feet long and
8 feet wide. Its mast was 32 feet tall and had a square sail.
There were eleven benches for the oarsmen. The expedition also
used pirogues (large flat-bottomed rowboats) and canoes they made
from the trunks of cottonwood trees.
Most of the time, Clark traveled on the
keelboat and Lewis walked on the shore. Every morning hunting
parties went out on horseback and returned to the boats by nightfall.
Traveling up the Missouri River was difficult
because it was against the strong current. When the winds were
favorable, they used the sails to glide. Most of the time, however,
the men had to use their muscles to move the boats. They either
paddled with oars, pulled from shore with towropes, or walked
through knee-deep water hauling the boats behind them. The summer
brought heat and mosquitoes. On a good day, they traveled about
By the end of October, 1804, the expedition
arrived at the Mandan and Hidatsa villages. This is located about
60 miles upriver from present-day Bismarck, North Dakota. They
built a fort near the villages for their winter camp. It was called
Fort Mandan. They spent the winter making repairs and preparing
for their departure in the spring.
5. Where did Lewis and
Clark meet Sacagawea?
At Fort Mandan. During the winter of 1804-1805, the expedition
camped near the Mandan and Hidatsa Indians. A fur trapper named
Toussaint Charbonneau was living with the Mandan and Hidatsa.
Lewis and Clark recruited Charbonneau to act as an interpreter.
Charbonneau brought his wife, Sacagawea. Did
you know Sacagawea means "bird woman" in the Shoshone
Sacagawea was a Shoshone. She was pregnant
with her first child. On February 13, 1805, Sacagawea gave birth
to her son, Jean Baptiste. He was known as Pompy or Little Pomp.
Sacagawea carried Pompy on her back during the entire journey
to and from the Pacific Ocean.
Sacagawea played an important role in the
Lewis and Clark Expedition. She was familiar with the land and
the languages so she served as a guide and interpreter. She also
saved equipment and journals when one of their boats tipped over.
Sacagawea probably died in 1812. After
her death, William Clark raised Pompy and her daughter, Lisette.
Today, Sacagawea and Pompy are pictured on the Golden Dollar Coin.
6. How many members
were a part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Fort Mandan
to the Pacific Ocean?
a) Two (Lewis and Clark); b) Thirty-three; c) Ninety; d) One hundred
b) Thirty-three. Lewis and Clark sent a group of soldiers on the
keelboat to report back to Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C.
On April 7, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition left Fort Mandan.
There were thirty-three people traveling up the Missouri River
in six canoes and two pirogues.
In June, 1805, the expedition came across
the Great Falls of the Missouri River. The approaching men could
hear the roar of the waterfalls from 7 miles away. Their boats
could not go over the falls, and they had to portage around them.
They made wagons to carry their supplies across ravines and up
steep slopes. The journey was slowed as sharp prickly pear thorns
and jagged rocks stuck in the men's feet. It would take the expedition
almost four weeks to travel about 18 miles as they carried their
boats overland and around the falls.
The next big challenge for the expedition
was crossing the Rocky Mountains. They were hopeful the Shoshone
living in the area would supply them with horses for the journey.
First, they would have to find the Shoshone, and second, they
would have to convince the Shoshone to give them the much needed
Fortunately for Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea
was a Shoshone. She had been separated from her people when she
was a little girl. Sacagawea began to recognize familiar landmarks
as they neared the Shoshone's land. On August 13, 1805, Lewis
and a small group scouted ahead and found the Shoshone. Lewis
told the Shoshone warriors the expedition was a peaceful party.
Four days later, Clark and the rest of the expedition caught up
with Lewis and the Shoshone.
Now that they found the Shoshone, they
must convince them to give them horses. Again, luck was on the
side of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Not only was Sacagawea
a Shoshone, but she was the sister of the Shoshone Chief. His
name was Chief Cameahwait. When Sacagawea was brought forward
to interpret the talks, she recognized her brother. Sacagawea
and Cameahwait were reunited, and the Shoshones supplied Lewis
and Clark with horses and guides to lead them over the Rocky Mountains.
By August 26, 1805, the expedition experienced
freezing temperatures in the Rocky Mountains. They climbed up
steeped slopes and down deep gorges. When they reached a high
peak, they saw more snow-covered mountains in front of them. Their
food was becoming scarce.
Clark and a few men scouted ahead looking
for the Nez Percé. They found the Nez Percé, and
Lewis and the rest of the men soon followed. The Nez Percé
were friendly people who supplied the hungry expedition with salmon,
berries, and roots. The Nez Percé also helped the expedition
to build boats for the next leg of the journey.
7. When did the Lewis
and Clark Expedition see the Pacific Ocean?
November 7, 1805. On this day, Clark wrote in his journal, "Ocian
in view. O! the joy." Lewis and Clark carved their names in a
tree near the mouth of the Columbia River and wrote, "By land
from the U. States in 1804 & 1805."
In early October, 1805, the Lewis and Clark
Expedition had crossed the Rocky Mountains and was back on the
water. This time, they were traveling downstream. They traveled
on the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. The Columbia River
would take them to the Pacific Ocean.
They saw signs they were close to the Pacific
Ocean. Indians carried copper kettles and wore sailors' jackets.
This meant they had traded with coastal Indians. After riding
a 55-mile stretch of the rough waters of the Columbia River, they
reached the Pacific Ocean. Clark estimated they had traveled more
than 4,100 miles from their starting point in Illinois.
The Lewis and Clark expedition planned
to spend the winter at the Pacific Ocean. The only question was
whether they would build a fort on the Pacific Ocean or move up
the Columbia River. If they stayed on the Pacific Ocean, they
had a small chance of making contact with an American or British
trading ship. The expedition could send their reports back to
Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C. If they moved up the Columbia
River, the food would be more abundant.
This expedition was a military expedition.
As military leaders, Lewis and Clark could have decided by themselves
which location the expedition would camp. Instead, Lewis and Clark
put it to a vote. In this vote, both York (a black slave) and
Sacagawea (a woman) were allowed to vote. This was the first time
a black slave or a woman had voted in American history. Also interesting,
this vote did not occur on United States soil because this territory
was not part of the United States in 1805.
The expedition voted to build a fort near
the Pacific Ocean. They starting building Fort Clatsop by December
7, 1805, and they moved in on Christmas Eve. Today, Fort Clatsop
is near Astoria, Oregon.
The winter was cold and rainy. Between
November 4, 1805, and March 25, 1806, they had only twelve days
without rain. They spent some of their time making salt to preserve
the meat. They made salt by boiling down the salty seawater and
scraping the sides of the large kettles to obtain the salt.
Clark was the main mapmaker for the expedition,
and he worked on mapping the country they had traveled. Although
they used the best navigational tools available, they usually
guessed the distance from one point to another. Sometimes they
used a two pole chain to measure short distances. A two pole chain
was a 33-foot chain stretched between two sticks. Soon, the expedition
was mapping the continent. Before their trip, most maps marked
a single mountain range that was easy to cross. After their trip,
the maps reflected a series of mountain chains. As Lewis and Clark
know first hand, these mountains were difficult to cross. The
Lewis and Clark maps also show the continent was much wider than
Lewis made notes of the plants, trees,
and animals he observed. He wrote about eleven birds, eleven mammals,
and two fish then unknown to naturalists. He described the wolverine
and the California condor. Did you know
the California condor is the largest bird in North America?
8. When did the Lewis
and Clark Expedition leave the Pacific Ocean and return east?
March 23, 1806. The expedition left the Pacific Ocean on March
23, 1806, and headed back up the Columbia River. By May, they
were back with the Nez Percé. They stayed with the Nez
Percé for six weeks waiting for the snow to melt in the
After crossing the Bitterroots, Lewis and
Clark split up the expedition so they could cover more territory.
Lewis took a small group and explored the Marias River, and Clark
took most of the expedition and traveled the Yellowstone River.
Lewis and his group encountered the Blackfeet Indians. On July
26, 1806, Lewis' party woke up and found Blackfeet trying to steal
their horses and guns. A fight broke out, and two Blackfeet were
killed. Lewis and his men continued to the Missouri River.
In mid-August, 1806, the expedition returned
to the Mandan villages. The return trip on the Missouri River
was faster because they traveled with the current. They could
cover 70 to 80 miles a day. Each day, the expedition met traders
heading upstream. Already, they could see the Missouri River becoming
On September 23, 1806, the Corps of Discovery
arrived in St. Louis. After two years, their successful journey
was completed. The expedition had traveled up the Missouri River
to its source in the Rocky Mountains, crossed the Rocky Mountains,
traveled down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, and returned.
Lewis wrote a long letter to Thomas Jefferson.
The good news was the expedition was home, the West was rich in
resources, and the rivers were full of animals. The bad news was
there was no easy water route through the mountains to the Pacific
Congress doubled the pay the members of
the expedition and gave them 320 acres of land. However, two people
received nothing. They were York and Sacagawea.
After the expedition, Meriwether Lewis
became governor of the Louisiana Territory. He never finished
writing his final report. On October 11, 1809, Lewis took his
own life near Nashville, Tennessee. He is buried outside Hohenwald,
Tennessee, along the Natchez Trace Parkway.
After the expedition, William Clark became
the superintendent of Indian affairs for the Louisiana Territory.
In 1813, he became governor of the newly formed Missouri Territory.
As superintendent and governor, Clark worked to protect Indians
during the westward expansion of the United States. He married
Julia "Judith" Hancock. Did you know
this is the same woman for whom he named a river in the West?
They named their first son Meriwether Lewis Clark. On September
1, 1838, Clark died. He was 69 years old.
The members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
were the first U.S. citizens to see the Rocky Mountains, cross
the continent, and reach the Pacific Ocean. The successful expedition
strengthened U.S. claims to the Pacific Northwest, spurred westward
expansion, and established good relations with most of the Indian
tribes they met. The American West was now open to the people
of the United States.
What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
Botany: The study of plants
Compass: An instrument for determining
directions with a magnetic needle that always points north
Flora and Fauna: Flora is the plants
of a certain region, and fauna is the animals of a certain region
Keelboat: A shallow-bottomed boat
used on rivers
Pirogue: A large, flat-bottomed
Portage: Carrying boats and other
goods overland from one waterway to another
Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
a. What was the official
name of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
The Corps of Discovery. Congress set aside $2,500 to pay for the
Lewis and Clark expedition. The trip ended up costing $39,000.
In the 1800's, the vast area between the
Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean was largely uncharted
by Europeans and the United States. Different American Indian
tribes lived throughout this land. Some lived on the prairie,
some lived near the mountains, some lived in the desert, and some
lived near the ocean. Countries such as Spain, France, Great Britain,
Russia, and the United States wanted to claim as much of this
territory as they could. Thomas Jefferson believed if the United
States explored this land first, they would have a better claim
b. What is the Louisiana
In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from
France. This purchase is called the Louisiana Purchase.
In 1800, the United States stretched from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. Most of population
lived near the Atlantic Ocean. Some adventurous settlers moved
all the way to present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky,
The Louisiana Territory stretched from
the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to
the Gulf of Mexico. It consisted of 828,000 square miles of land.
In July, 1803, the United States purchased
the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. This purchase
is called the Louisiana Purchase. It doubled the size of the United
States. The Lewis and Clark Expedition would now be exploring
and charting territory belonging to the United States.
c. Why did the Lewis
and Clark Expedition keep journals during the expedition?
To record and document their journey.
Lewis and Clark and seven of the expedition
members used journals to record and document their journey. Because
the expedition occurred before the invention of cameras, they
sketched pictures in their journals of animals, plants, and landscapes.
Some of the animals they saw included buffalo, deer, elk, antelopes,
pelicans, coyotes, prairie dogs, moose, bighorn sheep, grizzly
bears, whales, and the California condor. The expedition charted
distances and mapped the land. Lewis and Clark also sent samples
of flora and fauna to Thomas Jefferson. Did
you know Lewis and Clark described 178 plants and 122
animal species and subspecies never before cataloged?
d. Describe ONE of the
following people or animals:
Jefferson: He was the third President of the United States.
He served two terms from 1801 to 1809. Did
you know Thomas Jefferson was the primary author of
the Declaration of Independence? During Jefferson's presidency,
the Lewis and Clark Expedition successfully traveled to the Pacific
Ocean and back.
Andrew Ellicot: The nation's leading astronomer and
mathematician who met with Meriwether Lewis before the Lewis and
Albert Gallatin: A map collector who met with Meriwether
Lewis before the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Dr. Benjamin Rush: An eminent physician who met with
Meriwether Lewis before the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He gave
Lewis a list of "health rules." He told Lewis to have the men
wear flannel, especially in the winter, and to have the men lie
down when they were tired.
Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton: He gave lessons in botany
to Meriwether Lewis before the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
George Drouillard: A member of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition. He was a trapper and hunter, and he knew Indian sign
York: A member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He
was Clark's slave. In the winter of 1805, he was the first American
slave to vote. After the Expedition, York was given his freedom.
Pierre Cruzatte: A member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
who also played his fiddle to entertain the expedition.
Sergeant Charles Floyd: The only casualty of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition. He probably died from a burst appendix.
Did you know he was the first
U.S. soldier to die west of the Mississippi River? He was buried
with military honors.
Seaman: Meriwether Lewis' big, black Newfoundland dog.
On the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Seaman helped by chasing squirrels
for dinner and warning the men of approaching grizzlies.
Sergeant Patrick Gass: The last surviving member of
the Corp of Discovery. He died in 1870. He was 99 years old.
e. Name ONE of the American
Indian tribes the Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered.
Oto, Missouri, Yankton Sioux, Teton Sioux, Mandan, Hidatas, Shoshone,
Nez Percé, and Blackfeet.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition recorded
the traditions, manners, and languages of 40 American Indian tribes.
Here is a description of some of these tribes:
Oto and Missouri Indians: Lewis and Clark gave them
flags, medals, and whisky. They also demonstrated how a compass
Yankton Sioux: Lewis and Clark had a peaceful meeting
Teton Sioux: They first met near present-day Pierre,
Mandan: Farmers and hunters who lived in round, domed
houses. About 4,000 Mandans lived in the villages when Lewis and
Clark arrived in October, 1804. Did you
know this is more people than lived in Washington,
D.C. at the time? The Mandans were intrigued by York, the first
black man they had ever seen.
Hidatsa: They lived near the Mandan. Lewis and Clark
stayed near them during the winter of 1804-1805.
Shoshone: They lived near the Rocky Mountains and provided
the Lewis and Clark Expedition with horses in 1805. Did
you know Sacagawea was a Shoshone?
Nez Percé: They lived west of the Rocky Mountains.
They supplied the Lewis and Clark Expedition with food and helped
them build canoes.
Blackfeet: Lewis and his smaller group of men encountered
the Blackfeet on their return trip from the Pacific Ocean. It
was a hostile encounter.
f. Make a Lewis and
August 1, 1770: William Clark is born in Caroline County,
August 18, 1774: Meriwether Lewis
is born in Albermarle County, Virginia.
March 6, 1801: Thomas Jefferson
asks Lewis to serve as his personal secretary
1803: Lewis agrees to lead exploration
of the West and asks Clark to share command with him.
July 4, 1803: United States purchases
Louisiana Territory from France.
May 14, 1804: Corps of Discovery
begins trip up Missouri River.
August 20, 1804: Sergeant Charles
1804: Trapper Charbonneau signs
on with expedition and brings his pregnant wife Sacagawea.
February 13, 1805: Jean Baptiste
Charbonneau is born.
November, 1805: Lewis and Clark
reach Pacific Ocean.
July 26-27, 1806: Lewis' party encounters
September 23, 1806: Lewis and Clark
return to St. Louis.
October 11, 1809: Lewis takes his
own life near Nashville, Tennessee.
September 1, 1838: William Clark
dies in St. Louis.
g. Use five of the words
in Section 2 in a sentence.
and Clark studied botany to
prepare them for the plants they found during the expedition.
I always take a compass
when I go hiking.
There are a lot of different flora
and fauna in the United States.
Lewis and Clark used a keelboat
and pirogue on their expedition.
It took the members of the Corps of Discovery several days
to portage around the Great
h. Have a parent or friend give you
a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2.
More Valuable Information about Lewis
Lewis (PBS: The West)
Clark (PBS: The West)
and Clark (World Almanac for Kids)
Lewis & Clark's
and Clark Expedition Web Cam Site
Clark Trail Heritage Foundation
Lewis and Clark
Louisiana Purchase (PBS: The West)
National Memorial (NPS)