Lewis y clark y sacagawea biography

Sacagawea’s fictionalized image as a “genuine Indian princess” was promulgated most widely in the early 20th century by a popular 1902 novel by Eva Emery Dye that took liberties in recounting the travails of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

A suffragist, Dye was not satisfied to present the facts then known about Sacagawea; she wanted to make her a compelling model of female bravery and intelligence, and didn’t mind rewriting history to do so.

“Out of a few dry bones I found in the old tales of the trip, I created Sacajawea,” Dye wrote in her journal.

the three forks are at no great distance. her labour soon proved successful, and she procurrd a good quantity of these roots”

On May 8, 1805 Clark made the following entry in his journal:

“In walking on Shore with the Interpreter & his wife, the Squar Geathered on the Sides of the hills wild Lickerish, & the white apple as called by the angegies and gave me to eat, the Indians of the Missouri make great use of the white apple dressed in different ways”

Determination

Sacagawea’s strength of mind and quick determination saved important documents and instruments when a boat in which they were traveling capsized.

She was outvoted. Sacagawea’s memories of Shoshone trails led to Clark’s characterization of her as his “pilot.” She helped navigate the Corps through a mountain pass—today’s Bozeman Pass in Montana—to the Yellowstone River.

And although it couldn’t be quantified, the presence of a woman—a Native American, to boot—and baby made the whole corps seem less fearsome and more amiable to the Native Americans the Corps encountered, some of whom had never seen European faces before.

• Name: Sacagawea
• Birth Year: 1788
• Birth State: Idaho
• Birth City: Lemhi County
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Known For: Sacagawea was a Shoshone interpreter best known for being the only woman on the Lewis and Clark Expedition into the American West.
• Death Year: 1812
• Death State: South Dakota
• Death City: Kenel
• Death Country: United States

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• Article Title: Sacagawea Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/history-culture/sacagawea
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: May 6, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

• [Sacagawea] was one of the female prisoners taken at that time; tho' I cannot discover that she shows any emotion of sorrow in recollecting this events, or of joy in being again restored to her native country; if she has enough to eat and a few trinkets to wear I believe she would be perfectly content anywhere.
• [Sacagawea] recognizes the country and assures us that ...

  During the journey, Clark had become fond of her son Jean Baptiste, nicknaming him "Pomp" or "Pompey." Clark even offered to help him get an education.

  Death

  Once Sacagawea left the expedition, the details of her life become more elusive. Charbonneau spoke French and Hidatsa; Sacagawea spoke Hidatsa and Shoshone (two very different languages).

Through this translation chain, communications with the Shoshone would be possible.

this peice of information has cheered the sperits of the party who now begin to console themselves with the anticipation of shortly seeing the head of the missouri yet unknown to the civilized world.”

A journal entry by Lewis on July 30 shows that Sacagawea recognized the area where she was abducted by the Hidatsas.

“sharbono, his woman two invalleds and myself walked through the bottom on the Lard.

Pomp was left in Clark's care. Charbonneau was paid $533.33 and 320 acres of land for his service as an interpreter.

I now gave her broken dozes of diluted nitre untill it produced perspiration and at 10 P.M. 30 drops of laudnum which gave her a tolerable nights rest. She assures us that we shall either find her people on this river or on the river immediately west of it’s source; which from it’s present size cannot be very distant.”

It took Lewis three days to find Sacagawea’s people.

Sacagawea, her husband, and her son remained with the expedition on the return trip east until they reached the Mandan villages. Sacagawea was paid nothing.

During the expedition Clark had become very fond of Jean Baptist who he called “Pompey”. Throughout the journey Sacagawea served as a token of peace as her presence showed Native American nations that the group of explorers was not hostile and had friendly intentions.

Sharing her knowledge of native foods

As soon as they departed from Fort Mandan she shared her knowledge of local foods such as roots and fruits eaten by the natives and not previously known by westerners, a great complement to the explorers’ diet.

An observation by Lewis on April 9 about Sacagawea:

“when we halted for dinner the squaw busied herself in serching for the wild artichokes which the mice collect and deposit in large hoards.

She was skilled at finding edible plants. … After dark my dog barked very much …

.

Recognizing landmarks

When the expedition arrived near Shoshone lands, Sacagawea recognized some of the landmarks as stated by Lewis in his journal dated July 22, 1805.

“The Indian woman recognizes the country and assures us that this is the river on which her relations live, and that the three forks are at no great distance.

This is the May 20, 1805 journal entry that Lewis made describing how they named the river after the Shoshone heroine:

“The hunters returned this evening and informed us that the country continued much the same in appearance as that we saw where we were or broken, and that about five miles abe the mouth of shell river a handsome river of about fifty yards in width discharged itself into the shell river on the Stard.

Most of the Corps members spoke only English, but one, Francois Labiche, spoke French as well.

The Corps of Discovery route from Fort Mandan to the Pacific, 5,000 miles, 16 month journey.

 

On April 7, 1805 as the spring was being felt on the Missouri River, 17 year old Sacagawea, with her 55 day old son on her back, departed with the Corps of Discovery expedition on what was to be a 5,000 mile (8,000 km) journey that would last 16 months.

Sacagawea proved to be an asset to the expedition, her role was not just that of an interpreter but also was an assistant on the trail.