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Who wore the Racoon Hat Lewis or Clark?
The coonskin cap quickly became a part of the iconic image associated with American frontiersmen such as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Boone did not actually wear coonskin caps, which he disliked, and instead wore felt hats, but explorer Meriwether Lewis wore a coonskin cap during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
What did the Corps of Discovery eat?
By the end of the expedition, the Corps of Discovery had consumed bison, bears, dogs, elk, a wolf, and berries among other wild game, fruits, fish, and root vegetables. Corn, beans, and squash, the foundation of many Native American diets, were essential for the Corps' survival.
What was life like for the Corps of Discovery?
The trip was arduous -- the men lived outdoors, hunted for food, and rowed the keelboat (along with two smaller boats) up the river, often towing the boat from the shore when the current got too heavy or the river became difficult to navigate. They fended off huge clouds of mosquitoes that swarmed around them.
What objects did the Corps of Discovery take with them?
The Corps of Discovery carried one of the largest arsenals ever taken west of the Mississippi. It included an assortment of pikes, tomahawks and knives as well as several rifles and muskets, 200 pounds of gunpowder and over 400 pounds of lead for bullets.
Did Lewis and Clark get STDS?
But sex with Indian women had a down side, too: venereal disease. Previous encounters with French and British traders had infected many Indian women with syphilis, and Lewis and Clark had to treat some of their men for this disease, for which there was no cure then, only the dubious palliative of mercury pills.
How much meat did Lewis and Clark eat daily?
9 poundsOn July 13, 1805, Clark wrote: “We eat an emensity of meat; it requires 4 deer, or an elk and a deer, or one buffaloe to supply us plentifully 24 hours.” When wild game was plentiful, each man consumed up to 9 pounds of meat in one day. That's a lot of protein!
Who was the youngest member of the Corps of Discovery?
George Shannon (1785–1836) from Pennsylvania was the youngest member of the Corps of Discovery. He joined Lewis at Maysville, Kentucky. During the Fall of 1804, he was lost for more than two weeks and nearly starved to death. After the expedition, Shannon became a lawyer and later served as a senator from Missouri.
Was Lewis and Clark a lover?
Lewis was obsessed — the term is not overstated — obsessed with defining his relationship to Clark. In a society that held back from discussing male-male intimacy, there was no way of labeling this thing that had so intensely developed between them during the brief six months they had served together.
What were some of the dangers the Corps of Discovery faced?
The excursion lasted over two years: Along the way they confronted harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, treacherous waters, injuries, starvation, disease and both friendly and hostile Native Americans.
Where did the Corps of Discovery spend their first winter?
Fort MandanBy 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 of 1804-1805.
How long did the Corps of Discovery take?
How long did the whole expedition last? From May 14, 1804 to September 23, 1806. Two years, four months, ten days - from their departure from Camp Wood to their return to St. Louis at journey's end.
Was the Corps of Discovery a success?
In less than 2 1/2 years, at a total cost to the taxpayer of $40,000, The Corps of Discovery traveled over 8,000 miles. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was phenomenally successful in terms of accomplishing its stated goals, expanding America's knowledge, and tantalizing curiosity and wonder about the vast American West.
What roots did Lewis and Clark eat?
But when the Corps stumbled half-starved from the Rocky Mountains and onto the Weippe Prairie in September 1805, they were ready to eat anything. It was then that the Nez Perce introduced them to a new Native American staple: the camas root. The camas root was unfamiliar to Lewis and Clark.
Did Lewis and Clark eat a dog?
In early 1806, as the expedition was beginning the return journey, Seaman was stolen by Indians and Lewis sent three men to retrieve the dog. Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery ate over 200 dogs, bought from the Indians, while traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail, in addition to their horses, but Seaman was spared.
Did Lewis and Clark have coffee?
In 1804, Captain Lewis bought 50 pounds of coffee beans. The bag is mentioned in the journals on April 16 and then re-appears when inventories are done at Fort Clatsop.
Did Lewis and Clark eat candles?
On September 18, 1805, Lewis writes, “ this morning we finished the remainder of our last coult. we dined & suped on a skant proportion of portable soupe, a few canesters of which, a little bears oil and about 20 lbs. of candles form our stock of provision, the only resources being our guns & packhorses.”
Why did Lewis want to create the Corps of Discovery?
To create the Corps of Discovery, and to ensure any chance of success, Lewis wanted to find the best possible men he could and recruit them to join his expedition. Men were expected to be excellent hunters and possess skills that would ensure their survival in the wilderness.
Who was the first person to establish the Corps of Discovery?
The foundations for the Corps of Discovery were laid when Thomas Jefferson met John Ledyard to discuss a proposed expedition to the Pacific Northwest in the 1780s. In 1802, Jefferson read Alexander Mackenzie 's 1801 book about his 1792–1793 overland expedition across Canada to the Pacific Ocean; these exploratory journals influenced his decision to create an American body capable of reaching the Pacific as well. Two years after taking the presidency, Jefferson asked Congress to fund an expedition through the Louisiana Purchase .
What did Lewis and Clark consider Pryor?
Both Lewis and Clark considered him to be "a man of character and ability". On return in 1806, the expedition helped him secure an officer's commission in the U.S. Army. Pryor rose to the rank of captain and participated in the Battle of New Orleans in 1814.
Where did the Lewis and Clark Expedition go?
On May 14, 1804, the Corps left Dubois by canoe in order to meet up with Lewis at St. Charles, Missouri. The expedition then set off west following the Missouri River on 21 May.
When did the Corps of Discovery meet Chinooks?
The Corps of Discovery meet Chinooks on the Lower Columbia, October 1805. ( Charles Marion Russell, c. 1905.) The Corps of Discovery was a specially-established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806.
Who was the last survivor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
Gass was promoted from private to sergeant in August 1804 following the death of Sgt. Floyd. In 1807, Gass was the first to publish his journal. He stayed in the Army and served in the War of 1812 but was discharged after losing an eye in an accident. Gass was the last known survivor of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Who was the senior sergeant of the expedition?
He was well educated and became the senior sergeant of the expedition. Ordway took care of the daily administration and, in the absence of the captain and lieutenant, was left in charge. Ordway was the only member of the Corps to keep a journal throughout the entire expedition.
How many people were in the Corps of Discovery?
The Corps of Discovery, now numbering 33 , traveled into regions which had been explored and seen only by Native Americans. After crossing most of modern-day Montana the explorers were held up for over a month by the extensive waterfalls at Great Falls.
Where did the Corps of Discovery build Fort Mandan?
The explorers gave peace medals to the most important chiefs of each tribe. 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 of 1804-1805. During the winter Lewis and Clark made copious notes in their journals, drew maps, ...
How many soldiers were in the Mandan expedition?
The party numbered over 45, and included 27 young, unmarried soldiers, a French-Indian interpreter, and Clark's Black slave York. An additional group of men, engagés, would travel only to the Mandan country for the first winter, and these included six soldiers and several French boatmen.
What were the instructions given to Lewis and Clark?
Jefferson's Instructions# N#These were the final instructions given to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark before they embarked upon their journey into the Louisiana Purchase. The beauty they discovered was beyond their wildest expectations. The people they encountered represented dozens of unique cultures, and enabled the successful completion of their mission. The geography, flora, fauna and other natural phenomena they documented resulted in an enormous body of scientific information that was new to the western world. The indigenous Native Americans were already very familiar with these "discoveries." Even though an easy water route across the continent was not found, these accomplishments make the Lewis and Clark Expedition one of the most successful explorations of all time.
What did Lewis and Clark do while on the Pacific coast?
Lewis and Clark accomplished considerable scientific work while on the Pacific coast, gathering and recording information regarding the country and its inhabitants, despite constant rain and plaguing insects. A detail of men was assigned to make salt by boiling sea water. The Return Journey.
Why was the Lewis and Clark Expedition important?
The results and accomplishments of the Lewis and Clark expedition were extensive. It altered the imperial struggle for the control of North America, particularity in the Pacific northwest, by strengthening the U.S. claim to the areas now including the states of Oregon and Washington.
What were the most successful expeditions of the Native Americans?
Even though an easy water route across the continent was not found, these accomplishments make the Lewis and Clark Expedition one of the most successful explorations of all time.
History
The foundations for the Corps of Discovery were laid when Thomas Jefferson met John Ledyard to discuss a proposed expedition to the Pacific Northwest in the 1780s.
Members of the Corps
Lewis (1774–1809) was born in Virginia. He joined the First American Regiment in 1794 and served in the Ohio Valley and the Northwest Territory, where he became friends with William Clark. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis as his private secretary.
Attached civilians
Charbonneau was either sold or given Sacagawea, who was born around 1788, near Lemhi, Idaho. The daughter of a Shoshone chief, she was kidnapped by the Hidatsa and sold into slavery to the Mandan who passed her on to Charbonneau, who made her his wife. On February 11, 1805, she gave birth to a son named John Baptiste.
External links
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Overview
The Corps of Discovery was a specially established unit of the United States Army which formed the nucleus of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that took place between May 1804 and September 1806. The Corps was led jointly by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, the Corps' objectives were scientific and commer…
History
The foundations for the Corps of Discovery were laid when Thomas Jefferson met John Ledyard to discuss a proposed expedition to the Pacific Northwest in the 1780s. In 1802, Jefferson read Alexander Mackenzie's 1801 book about his 1792–1793 overland expedition across Canada to the Pacific Ocean; these exploratory journals influenced his decision to create an American body capab…
Members of the Corps
Captain Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (1774–1809) was born in Ivy, Virginia. He joined the First American Regiment in 1794 and served in the Ohio Valley and the Northwest Territory, where he became friends with William Clark. In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis as his private secretary. Two years later, Jefferson chose Lewis as commander of the expedition to cross the American continent to the Pacific Ocean. Following the return of the expedition in 180…
Attached party
Toussaint Charbonneau and Sacagawea Charbonneau was either sold or given Sacagawea, who was born around 1788, near Lemhi, Idaho. The daughter of a Shoshone chief, she was kidnapped by the Hidatsa and sold into slavery to the Mandan, who passed her on to Charbonneau, who made her his wife. On February 11, 1805, she gave birth to a son named John Baptiste. Lewis described Charbonneau as a man "of no particular merit", while both captains acknowledged the …
External links
• Corps of Discovery (United States Army)
• A Photographic Journey up the Missouri River in North Dakota – Fort Mandan (U.S. Geological Survey)
• The expedition of the Corps of Discovery
• Portage Route Chapter affiliated with the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation