By October the Corps of Discovery reached the Mandan and Hidatsa villages, where they built "Fort Mandan" (near present-day Washburn, North Dakota), and spent the winter season of 1804-1805.ĭuring this time Lewis and Clark made numerous notes in their journals, drew maps, and learned the geography of the land from Native Americans. Lewis and Clark would give peace medals to the most important chiefs of each tribe. The relations between The Corps of Discovery and Native Americans were generally good, and councils were held with the Otos and Missouris. It is believed that Floyd died of a burst appendix and they buried him in modern day Sioux City, Iowa. The expedition used a specially built keelboat and two smaller boats, called pirogues which average around 15 miles per day to carry their supplies and equipment.ĭuring this phase, the group suffered the only casualty of the expedition, Sgt. The explorers suffered from heat exhaustion and disease along with encounters with animals and insects. Travel up the Missouri River was difficult due to its strong current and many snags. An additional group of men called engagés who were French-Canadians employed to canoe in the fur trade-usually indentured servants-would travel only to the Mandan country for the first winter, and these included six soldiers and several French boatmen. The Corps of Discovery numbered over 45 and included 27 young, unmarried soldiers, a French-Indian interpreter, and Clark's Black slave York. On May 14, 1804, William Clark joined Meriwether Lewis in St. Louis, conferring with traders about the Upper Missouri regions and obtaining maps made by earlier explorers. Clark recruited and trained men, while Lewis spent time in St. William Clark established "Camp River Dubois" in December 1803 at the junction of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, north of St. Lewis and Clark in canoes meeting the Indians. These accomplishments made the Lewis and Clark Expedition one of the most successful explorations of all time.
They "discovered" beauty beyond their wildest expectations and the people they encountered represented nearly 50 indigenous tribes that enabled the successful completion of their mission.Īnd even though an easy water route across the continent was not found, the geography, flora, fauna and other natural phenomena they documented resulted in a large body of scientific information that was new to the Western world. Jefferson envisioned the nation's eventual expansion to the Pacific and desired to strengthen the American claim to the Northwest Columbia Basin. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 had doubled the size of the nation, but a good share of the territory the expedition would explore was unmapped. They were also to note possible resources which would support future settlement. Lewis and Clark were instructed to observe and record the entire range of natural history and ethnology of the areas they explored. The President provided the best supplies, clothing, firearms, equipment, and rations then available. The expedition was meant to prepare the way for the extension of the American fur trade and to advance geographical knowledge. LewisAndClarkTrail.Was to reflect the broad range of Jefferson's interests.
Provided courtesy of the National Park Service Lewis and Clark Trail maps on this web site were Welcome to America's # 1 Choice for Lewis and Clark History, Travel & Shopping! LEWISANDCLARKTRAIL.COM AS FEATURED ON : CNBC, TIME, HARLEY DAVIDSON HOG MAGAZINE, FOOD CHANNEL NETWORK, AAA TRAVEL, GROUP TRAVEL LEADER, and NUMEROUS NEWSPAPER PUBLICATIONS ACROSS AMERICA! Of the Corps of Discovery, set off down the Ohio
Lewis and Clark, together with the nucleus Keelboat completed, Lewis departs PittsburghĪnd begins his 981-mile voyage down the Ohio The western expedition left Philadelphia. Pounds of supplies and equipment destined for Purchased guns, tomahawksĪ conestoga wagon loaded to capacity with 3500 Eastern towns preparing himself for the westernĬourses on botany, paleontology, navigation andįield medicine.