Lewis and Clark developed a first contact protocol for meeting new tribes. In fact, the Corps encountered around 50 Native American tribes including the Shoshone, the Mandan, the Minitari, the Blackfeet, the Chinook and the Sioux. Most of the land Lewis and Clark surveyed was already occupied by Native Americans. Lewis and Clark: Native American Encounters He was the only member of the Corps to die on their journey. On August 20, 22-year-old Corps member Sergeant Charles Floyd died of an abdominal infection, possibly from appendicitis.
On July 5, 1803, Lewis visited the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry to obtain munitions. But for all intents and purposes, the two shared equal responsibility. He also asked his friend Clark to co-command the expedition.Įven though Clark was once Lewis’ superior, Lewis was technically in charge of the trip. He studied medicine, botany, astronomy and zoology and scrutinized existing maps and journals of the region. Lewis knew that exploring the Louisiana Territory would be no small task and began preparations immediately. Preparations for the Lewis and Clark Expedition At age 27 he became personal secretary to President Thomas Jefferson. He then joined the Virginia state militia-where he helped to put down the Whiskey Rebellion-and later became a captain in the U.S. He returned to Virginia as a teenager to receive his education and graduated from college in 1793. Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774 but spent his early childhood in Georgia. Nevertheless, the approximately 8,000-mile journey was deemed a huge success and provided new geographic, ecological and social information about previously uncharted areas of North America. 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. Lewis chose William Clark as his co-leader for the mission. The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804, when President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring lands west of the Mississippi River that comprised the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark Cross the Continental Divide.
Lewis and Clark: Native American Encounters.Preparations for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.