Next, Lewis and Clark came to the Rocky Mountains. It took the men nearly a month to carry their boats for miles around the Great Falls. Without help from the Native American tribes as well as Sacagawea, the expedition would have surely failed.Īs the expedition continued up the Missouri River into what is today the state of Montana, they ran into the Great Falls. She helped the expedition in many ways as they traveled, including showing them edible plants and helping to keep peace and trade with different tribes. Sacagawea joined the expedition as an interpreter. There they met a fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. They even spent the first winter with the Mandan nation. Although there were some tense moments, they made friends and traded with many different tribes. Lewis and Clark met many Native American tribes along the way. They were traveling against the current, so they had to use long poles to push the boats or even ropes to pull the boats from the banks. They had one large boat called a barge and two smaller boats called pirogues. They started out traveling up the Missouri River. They even brought lots of glass beads and trinkets so they could trade with Indians along the way. They packed lots of equipment for their trip including rifles, food, and warm clothing. Lewis and Clark, together with their team of over 40 men, began their expedition at the city of St. In preparing for the expedition Clark was responsible for hiring and training the men, while Lewis gathered the equipment and supplies they would need.īy Edgar Samuel Paxson Setting off to explore Lieutenant William Clark (1770 - 1838) served in the United States Army. He asked his friend William Clark to help.

He was in charge of the expedition to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. They traveled across the country to the Pacific Ocean and back again.Ĭaptain Meriwether Lewis (1774 - 1809) was President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary. Lewis and Clark were asked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and map the wild west of North America. Best known for: Explored the Louisiana Territory and Western North America.Died: Octoin Hohenwald, Tennessee (Lewis).By Unknown Biography for Kids > Explorers for Kids

Lew later birthplace