Lewis & Clark’s Exploratory Successes Came With Preparation, Diversity, Hardship, and Luck
March 6th, 2010 | by admin |
The American explorers, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, knew long before they left on their westward 1804 Corps-of-Discovery exploratory expedition that the success of their journey depended on their careful preparation beforehand and the experience and readiness of their crew. During that epic 28-month journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, they roughed it through the unexplored northwest wilderness via the Missouri, Columbia, and smaller rivers, and the Rocky Mountains. They met and, in most cases, befriended 50 Native American tribes along the way. They also faced multiple dangers and hardships daily. To make that hazardous 8000-mile round-camping trip alive, they needed healthy, skilled crew members and sufficient supplies and luck to do it successfully. Four of their accomplishments are listed below.
1. They made their way to the Pacific Ocean and back with only one loss of life, apparently to appendicitis.
2. They informed the Native American tribes met on the way of their new U.S. leadership, and bartered with them for food, survival, peace, and future trade.
3. They discovered and documented 300 new plants and animals.
4. They kept hand written journals of their journey, and made numerous maps of it.
Much of their success can be summarized in the following five areas.
1. Preparing for the expedition (experience, training, and supplies)
2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans
3. Diversity and teamwork
4. Exploratory river route taken
5. Making it back alive.
1. Preparing for the expedition
* Spearheaded by President Thomas Jefferson, the expedition was a government-sponsored military project that took many months of advanced preparation and training together with the gathering of large amounts of supplies. Thus, when the expedition departed from the St Louis area in May of 1804, it comprised three large armed boats carrying 30-tons of supplies and more than 30 skilled crew members, mostly soldiers. The soldiers were dressed in military uniforms and regalia. Their supplies included food, water, bedding, baggage, clothing, 21-bales of gifts for the native tribes, and much equipment for navigating, camping, hunting, fishing, cooking, trading, blacksmithing, constructing (two winter forts), doctoring, writing, map-making, exploring, and defending themselves. The expedition had ample manpower and supplies to start the trip.
* Lewis and Clark were healthy, seasoned, highly capable leaders. Before departing, Lewis received extra training on astronomy, medicine, and natural science in Philadelphia.
* The selected crew members were disciplined, rugged outdoors-men, trained for failure, success, and dealing with the wilderness and the unknown.
* Unexpectedly, the Louisiana Purchase occurred just before the expedition departed. Thus, except for the northwest Oregon region, the corps explored the Louisiana Purchase as a new section of their own country.
2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans
* Most of the northwestern tribes were friendly. They were receptive to future trade with the U.S. for modern wares and hunting equipment. As a result, the corps enjoyed many councils, gift exchanges, peace-medal presentations, marching parades, pow-wows, feasts, dances, demonstrations, and outdoor games with these tribes.
* Yet, on the way northwest, a large South Dakota tribe wanted ransom for river passage. But their level-headed chief kept it from going too far, which prevented a heated argument early in the trip.
* During their sub-zero winter encampment in North Dakota, a large agricultural tribe nearby traded their stored dried corn for the expedition’s blacksmithing and medical skills. This corn gave the expedition a more balanced diet than the wild game alone.
* Further west, a large mountain-plains tribe provided the expedition with a guide, horses, and several human pack carriers for their climb over the Rocky Mountains. These provisions were made even though the tribe itself was starving, and was eager to go find meat at the time.
* On the other side of these mountains, another powerful tribe wanted to kill the weary expedition for its guns and plunder. But, an old woman there who had been treated well by the whites earlier in Canada intervened. She saved them. This same tribe then fed the cold starving expedition who had been eating everything from candles to colt meat during their late-season mountains passage.
* During their return from the Pacific and while waiting for the mountain snows to thaw, the corps earned their keep with a large friendly tribe by medically treating the old and ailing tribespeople there. In one case, a completely paralyzed old chieftain began to move his limbs after the corps gave him daily steam-bath treatments.
* Throughout the entire journey, the native tribes gave the expedition geographical tips, directions, rough maps, food, lodging, support, and services. They lodged their horses, and taught them how to burnout and use log canoes.
3. Diversity and teamwork
* As rugged woodsmen and, in some cases, half-breeds, the crew members had diverse abilities. They worked well together. They were scouts, hunters, sharpshooters, guards, fishermen, boatmen, boat/canoe makers, horsemen, soldiers, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, repairmen, trappers, campers, hikers, carpenters, traders, fiddlers, entertainers, cooks, tailors, negotiators, salt makers, nurses, and interpreters (English, French, Spanish, Indian, and signing).
* The presence of a woman, Sacagawea and her baby son, among the corps was a sign of peace to the tribes along the way. This fortunate situation prevented many potential conflicts with the tribes met. Sacagawea was the cool-headed wife of one of the hired interpreters. She was also an excellent gatherer of wild edibles and part-time guide. Additionally, she turned out to be the sister to an important tribal chief, the one who gave the expedition the horses and guide for crossing the mountains. Toward the end of their return journey, Clark wrote to her interpreter husband, “Your woman…diserved a greater reward for her attention and services on that rout than we had in our power to give her.”
* Clark’s personal slave, York, was tall, strong, and personable. The plains tribes and their children admired him greatly. He, along with Sacagawea, became highly important members to the expedition.
* Lewis’ black 115-pound Newfoundland dog, Seaman, guarded their night camps against wolves, bison, and grizzlies.
4. Exploratory river route taken
* The expedition’s route was far enough north that four armed companies sent out by a southwestern Spanish governor to find and stop them, never did.
* Much of the route was done on rivers and waterways, which gave the expedition a clear pathway to follow with minimum surprises, except for the strong turbulence of the Missouri River and the difficulty of crossing the Rocky Mountains. Yet, they were able to boat and canoe these rivers, and to cross the Bitterroot Range on horseback over known native trails.
* This route also allowed the Corps to see and experience firsthand the West’s vast native cultures, endless masses of game and wildlife, and lush pristine vistas in all seasons.
5. Making it back alive
* The expedition overcame endless hardships and close calls daily. Such hardships included lack of privacy, sickness, boils, sores, accidental injuries and knife/gunshot wounds, falls/spills, biting insects (many), poisonous snakes, thorny plants, bad weather, extreme temperatures, violent storms, hail, flooding, getting lost, stress, starvation, exhaustion, aches, pains, encounters with wild carnivorous animals (bears), depletion of trade goods, and potential death.
* After crossing back over the mountains on their return trip, the expedition divided into four groups to explore certain sections near two rivers, the Marias and Yellowstone. This temporary division spread them thin. All or any of these smaller groups could have been wiped out without the others knowing what had happened to them. Eventually, however, they all regrouped successfully on the Missouri River.
* When the corps made it back to St Louis, they were in dugout canoes and one boat, wearing buckskins, and “looking like Robinson Crusoe’s.”
In summary, when the expedition returned to St Louis in September of 1806 to the surprise of everyone, the welcoming crowd was ecstatic. By that time, most of the U.S. had thought the corps had died or vanished. No one had heard from them since the spring of 1805. Thus, after their return, many speeches and celebrations took place in St Louis and elsewhere. Lewis and Clark were appointed the Governor of the Louisiana Purchase and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, respectively. Also, Lewis, Clark, and their crew members received sizeable land grants in Missouri for their successful journey.
Much of the corps’ success can be attributed to their being diversely well-prepared for that long dangerous journey, and to their ability to work well together while making their own luck along the way. They also had ample supplies to start with, which allowed them to adapt to their changing situations routinely, and to overcome the numerous hardships they encountered.
By: J Delms
1. They made their way to the Pacific Ocean and back with only one loss of life, apparently to appendicitis.
2. They informed the Native American tribes met on the way of their new U.S. leadership, and bartered with them for food, survival, peace, and future trade.
3. They discovered and documented 300 new plants and animals.
4. They kept hand written journals of their journey, and made numerous maps of it.
Much of their success can be summarized in the following five areas.
1. Preparing for the expedition (experience, training, and supplies)
2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans
3. Diversity and teamwork
4. Exploratory river route taken
5. Making it back alive.
1. Preparing for the expedition
* Spearheaded by President Thomas Jefferson, the expedition was a government-sponsored military project that took many months of advanced preparation and training together with the gathering of large amounts of supplies. Thus, when the expedition departed from the St Louis area in May of 1804, it comprised three large armed boats carrying 30-tons of supplies and more than 30 skilled crew members, mostly soldiers. The soldiers were dressed in military uniforms and regalia. Their supplies included food, water, bedding, baggage, clothing, 21-bales of gifts for the native tribes, and much equipment for navigating, camping, hunting, fishing, cooking, trading, blacksmithing, constructing (two winter forts), doctoring, writing, map-making, exploring, and defending themselves. The expedition had ample manpower and supplies to start the trip.
* Lewis and Clark were healthy, seasoned, highly capable leaders. Before departing, Lewis received extra training on astronomy, medicine, and natural science in Philadelphia.
* The selected crew members were disciplined, rugged outdoors-men, trained for failure, success, and dealing with the wilderness and the unknown.
* Unexpectedly, the Louisiana Purchase occurred just before the expedition departed. Thus, except for the northwest Oregon region, the corps explored the Louisiana Purchase as a new section of their own country.
2. Diplomacy among the Native Americans
* Most of the northwestern tribes were friendly. They were receptive to future trade with the U.S. for modern wares and hunting equipment. As a result, the corps enjoyed many councils, gift exchanges, peace-medal presentations, marching parades, pow-wows, feasts, dances, demonstrations, and outdoor games with these tribes.
* Yet, on the way northwest, a large South Dakota tribe wanted ransom for river passage. But their level-headed chief kept it from going too far, which prevented a heated argument early in the trip.
* During their sub-zero winter encampment in North Dakota, a large agricultural tribe nearby traded their stored dried corn for the expedition’s blacksmithing and medical skills. This corn gave the expedition a more balanced diet than the wild game alone.
* Further west, a large mountain-plains tribe provided the expedition with a guide, horses, and several human pack carriers for their climb over the Rocky Mountains. These provisions were made even though the tribe itself was starving, and was eager to go find meat at the time.
* On the other side of these mountains, another powerful tribe wanted to kill the weary expedition for its guns and plunder. But, an old woman there who had been treated well by the whites earlier in Canada intervened. She saved them. This same tribe then fed the cold starving expedition who had been eating everything from candles to colt meat during their late-season mountains passage.
* During their return from the Pacific and while waiting for the mountain snows to thaw, the corps earned their keep with a large friendly tribe by medically treating the old and ailing tribespeople there. In one case, a completely paralyzed old chieftain began to move his limbs after the corps gave him daily steam-bath treatments.
* Throughout the entire journey, the native tribes gave the expedition geographical tips, directions, rough maps, food, lodging, support, and services. They lodged their horses, and taught them how to burnout and use log canoes.
3. Diversity and teamwork
* As rugged woodsmen and, in some cases, half-breeds, the crew members had diverse abilities. They worked well together. They were scouts, hunters, sharpshooters, guards, fishermen, boatmen, boat/canoe makers, horsemen, soldiers, blacksmiths, gunsmiths, repairmen, trappers, campers, hikers, carpenters, traders, fiddlers, entertainers, cooks, tailors, negotiators, salt makers, nurses, and interpreters (English, French, Spanish, Indian, and signing).
* The presence of a woman, Sacagawea and her baby son, among the corps was a sign of peace to the tribes along the way. This fortunate situation prevented many potential conflicts with the tribes met. Sacagawea was the cool-headed wife of one of the hired interpreters. She was also an excellent gatherer of wild edibles and part-time guide. Additionally, she turned out to be the sister to an important tribal chief, the one who gave the expedition the horses and guide for crossing the mountains. Toward the end of their return journey, Clark wrote to her interpreter husband, “Your woman…diserved a greater reward for her attention and services on that rout than we had in our power to give her.”
* Clark’s personal slave, York, was tall, strong, and personable. The plains tribes and their children admired him greatly. He, along with Sacagawea, became highly important members to the expedition.
* Lewis’ black 115-pound Newfoundland dog, Seaman, guarded their night camps against wolves, bison, and grizzlies.
4. Exploratory river route taken
* The expedition’s route was far enough north that four armed companies sent out by a southwestern Spanish governor to find and stop them, never did.
* Much of the route was done on rivers and waterways, which gave the expedition a clear pathway to follow with minimum surprises, except for the strong turbulence of the Missouri River and the difficulty of crossing the Rocky Mountains. Yet, they were able to boat and canoe these rivers, and to cross the Bitterroot Range on horseback over known native trails.
* This route also allowed the Corps to see and experience firsthand the West’s vast native cultures, endless masses of game and wildlife, and lush pristine vistas in all seasons.
5. Making it back alive
* The expedition overcame endless hardships and close calls daily. Such hardships included lack of privacy, sickness, boils, sores, accidental injuries and knife/gunshot wounds, falls/spills, biting insects (many), poisonous snakes, thorny plants, bad weather, extreme temperatures, violent storms, hail, flooding, getting lost, stress, starvation, exhaustion, aches, pains, encounters with wild carnivorous animals (bears), depletion of trade goods, and potential death.
* After crossing back over the mountains on their return trip, the expedition divided into four groups to explore certain sections near two rivers, the Marias and Yellowstone. This temporary division spread them thin. All or any of these smaller groups could have been wiped out without the others knowing what had happened to them. Eventually, however, they all regrouped successfully on the Missouri River.
* When the corps made it back to St Louis, they were in dugout canoes and one boat, wearing buckskins, and “looking like Robinson Crusoe’s.”
In summary, when the expedition returned to St Louis in September of 1806 to the surprise of everyone, the welcoming crowd was ecstatic. By that time, most of the U.S. had thought the corps had died or vanished. No one had heard from them since the spring of 1805. Thus, after their return, many speeches and celebrations took place in St Louis and elsewhere. Lewis and Clark were appointed the Governor of the Louisiana Purchase and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, respectively. Also, Lewis, Clark, and their crew members received sizeable land grants in Missouri for their successful journey.
Much of the corps’ success can be attributed to their being diversely well-prepared for that long dangerous journey, and to their ability to work well together while making their own luck along the way. They also had ample supplies to start with, which allowed them to adapt to their changing situations routinely, and to overcome the numerous hardships they encountered.
By: J Delms