Have you ever heard of Lewis and Clark? What about Sacagawea? These three people went on an exciting journey across a big part of North America. Today, we’re going to learn all about it. So, put on your adventure hat and let’s travel back in time to discover their incredible journey!
Before we talk about their adventure, let’s find out why it happened. Imagine it’s the year 1803. Thomas Jefferson is the President of the United States. Back then, the United States was much smaller than it is today. As more people moved to the U.S., they needed more land. That’s where the Louisiana Purchase comes in.
On April 30th, 1803, President Jefferson made a deal with France to buy a huge piece of land west of the Mississippi River. This land was about 828,000 square miles, and it cost only five cents per acre! This purchase doubled the size of the United States.
Here’s a fun fact: The Louisiana Purchase included land from 15 states we know today, like Arkansas, Missouri, and Iowa, and even parts of Canada!
Even though Native American tribes had lived on this land for a long time, the new settlers had never explored it. President Jefferson wanted to explore and map this land. He also wanted to learn about the plants, animals, and people living there.
President Jefferson asked his secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead the expedition. He also chose William Clark as co-captain. These two men were very good at exploring and living in the wild.
The group was called the “Corps of Discovery,” and it included about 40 volunteers. Each person had special skills like hunting and woodcutting, which were important for the journey. Later, two interpreters joined the group: Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea, who was from the Lemhi Shoshone tribe. Sacagawea was very brave and helpful, and she even had a baby boy named Jean Baptiste just before the journey!
In May 1804, Lewis, Clark, and the Corps of Discovery started their adventure from St. Louis, Missouri. They traveled up the Missouri River on a big boat called a barge. They saw many new plants and animals along the way.
They met different Native American tribes, like the Lakota, and stayed peaceful thanks to leaders like Chief Black Buffalo. In April 1805, Sacagawea and her husband joined the group. She was an amazing guide and helped the explorers find their way and identify safe plants to eat.
The group traveled over mountains and rivers, and in December 1805, they finally reached the Pacific Ocean. They had walked about 4,100 miles from Missouri to the ocean. Wow, that’s a long walk!
In March 1806, they started their journey back home. By September, they returned to St. Louis, having traveled over 7,000 miles in total.
Thanks to Lewis and Clark’s expedition, the U.S. learned a lot about its new land. They discovered new plants, animals, and minerals. They also made maps and built mostly peaceful relationships with Native American tribes.
After the journey, Lewis became the governor of the Louisiana Territory, and Clark became the governor of the Missouri Territory. Sadly, Sacagawea passed away in 1812, but her bravery and help were never forgotten.
Let’s see what you remember:
What was the land called that Thomas Jefferson bought from France?
Answer: The Louisiana Purchase.
True or False: Sacagawea was an important part of the expedition.
Answer: True. She was very important to the journey’s success.
What was the group called that went on the expedition?
Answer: The Corps of Discovery.
Great job! Even though Lewis and Clark explored land that Native Americans had lived on for a long time, their journey taught us a lot. Thanks to Sacagawea, the expedition was even more successful. Maybe one day, you can explore and discover something amazing too!
Map Your Own Adventure: Create a simple map of your neighborhood or a park nearby. Just like Lewis and Clark mapped the land they explored, you can use paper and colored pencils to draw the streets, trees, and any interesting landmarks you see. Try to include a compass rose to show directions. Share your map with your classmates and see if they can follow it!
Plant and Animal Discovery: Go on a mini-expedition in your backyard or a local park. Take a notebook and draw or write about three different plants or animals you find. Use a magnifying glass to look closely at leaves or insects. Just like the Corps of Discovery, try to learn something new about the nature around you. Can you find out the names of the plants or animals you discovered?
Imagine a Journey: Imagine you are part of the Corps of Discovery. Write a short story about a day in your adventure. What do you see, hear, and feel? Who do you meet along the way? Share your story with your family or friends and ask them what they would do if they were on such an adventure.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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**Lewis and Clark for Kids**
Have you ever heard of the names Lewis and Clark? How about Sacagawea? These three individuals went on a very important journey, or expedition, across a large part of the North American continent. Today, we are going to learn all about it, so pack your bags, get your good walking shoes out, and let’s take a walk back in history to learn about Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea’s incredible journey.
**The Louisiana Purchase**
Before we get into the details of the expedition itself, let’s talk about why it happened in the first place. Picture this: it is the year 1803. Thomas Jefferson is the President of the United States. At this time, the United States was only about 865,000 square miles, or about three times the size of the modern-day state of Texas. As the population of the United States grew, so did the need for land. That is where the Louisiana Purchase comes in.
On April 30th, 1803, President Jefferson made a treaty with the French government to purchase about 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for just five cents per acre, totaling 15 million dollars. This purchase doubled the size of the United States.
Here is an interesting fact: the Louisiana Purchase included land from 15 present states, including all of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, and parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. Parts of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were also included.
Even though indigenous tribes had lived on this land for hundreds of years, the colonists had never explored these areas before, which is why President Jefferson wanted to have this land explored and mapped. He also wanted information about natural resources, plants, animals, geology, weather, and climate, and to establish trade and sovereignty over the Native American tribes along the Missouri River. Jefferson also wanted to establish American ownership of the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territories.
He got approval and funding from Congress and chose his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, as the leader of the expedition west. He also appointed one of his former commanding officers, Second Lieutenant William Clark, as co-captain of the trip. Both men were seasoned frontiersmen, meaning they had lived on the frontier, which was the land between settled and unsettled country. Basically, they knew how to rough it.
Jefferson called the exploration group the “Corps of Discovery,” which included about 40 other volunteers. These men were chosen for their expertise in hunting, woodcutting, craftsmanship, and other necessary skills for the long trip. Every member of the group had responsibilities that had to be carried out for the success of the journey, and everybody had to work together to accomplish the goals and purposes of the expedition.
Later, two interpreters were added to the group: a French Canadian named Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea, who belonged to the Lemhi Shoshone Native American tribe. Here is another interesting fact: Sacagawea gave birth to a son named Jean Baptiste just a couple of months before their journey. He would later become an explorer himself!
Now that the team is in place, let’s skip to May of 1804 and the main event: the Lewis and Clark expedition. On May 21st, 1804, Lewis and Clark and the other members of the Corps of Discovery started their expedition from a camp near St. Louis, Missouri. They traveled up the Missouri River on a large flatboat called a barge. They traveled through places that are now part of Kansas City, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska. Later, the group reached the edge of the Great Plains and discovered many plant and animal species that were new to them.
Along the way, they also encountered indigenous people, including the Lakota tribe, whom the Americans called the Sioux. Despite some tension, the two groups were able to remain peaceful, thanks largely to the peacekeeping efforts of Chief Black Buffalo. They waited out the winter in Fort Mandan, named after the Native American tribe who lived on the land.
In April of 1805, Sacagawea and her husband joined the group. She was a courageous and skilled guide. Her presence was vital to the journey, not only because of her interpretation and diplomacy skills, but also because her presence was a sign that the group came in peace. Sacagawea also helped the explorers choose routes to travel and identify edible plants.
The expedition came across the Missouri River and then arrived at the Continental Divide, which is the area that divides the flow of water between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It runs along the top of the Rocky Mountains down to New Mexico. They traveled by horseback, canoe, and on foot as they explored the land, documenting animals, plants, and geography. After traveling on the Clearwater River, Snake River, and Columbia River, the expedition finally made it to the Pacific Ocean in December of 1805. It is estimated that the group walked 4,100 miles from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean. Our feet hurt just thinking about it!
On March 23, 1806, the journey home began, and the group mostly followed the same route as before, with a few exceptions. Six months later, on September 23rd, the group arrived back in St. Louis. All told, the journey covered over 7,000 miles.
**The Impact**
Because of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the United States government had a much better understanding of its newly acquired land. Facts that were all new to the colonizers about natural resources, plant and animal species, minerals, land size, and geology were recorded. Mostly peaceful relationships with indigenous tribes were also established. In all, the journey produced about 140 maps of the Pacific Northwest region, and the members of the Corps of Discovery were met with a grand reception upon their return.
After the journey, Lewis was appointed as governor of the Louisiana Territory, and Clark became the governor of the Missouri Territory. Sadly, Sacagawea passed away from illness in 1812.
Interesting story, right? Let’s take a quick minute to review what we have learned:
Fill in the blank: The land that Thomas Jefferson purchased from the French is called the __________.
**Answer:** The Louisiana Purchase.
True or False: Sacagawea was a vital part of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
**Answer:** True. Without Sacagawea, the journey would have been much more difficult, if not impossible.
What was the group called that went on the Lewis and Clark expedition?
**Answer:** The Corps of Discovery.
Nice job, friends! Even though Lewis and Clark were exploring land that had already been inhabited by Native Americans for hundreds of years, their efforts and the efforts of their group produced results. Thanks to Sacagawea, the expedition was even more successful. Maybe one day you can explore and discover or rediscover something wonderful, just like Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea. Hope you had fun learning with us! Visit us at learnbrite.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.
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