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Louisiana was officially transferred from France to America in St. Louis, Missouri. Lewis and Clark participate in this event. Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark with their men to explore the New World.
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A man on the trail dies from what we believe is a burst appendix. He was buried alongside the trail. He was the first soldier to die west of the Missouri River.
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A friendly council is held with the Sioux Indians. When a baby is born, Lewis wraps it in an American Flag and calls it an American. Friendship is found between the Sioux.
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It was decided on October 24th, 1804 that Fort Mandan would be constructed. The construction lasted alsmost 2 months before construction was complete. This is where the voyagers spent the harsh winter.
http://www.fortmandan.com/elements/images/fortmandan_distance.jpg (for pictures) -
Sacagawea , being Shoshone at birth, was captured as a girl and found herself with a husband and a baby on the way. Lewis and Clark came by her way, and she joined them on her expedition. Without the help of this Native American, they would never have succeeded in this expedition.
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Christmas is spent at Fort Mandan. Despite the harsh winter ahead, they celebrate the holiday at the fort.
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Mandan Indians perform sacred "Buffalo Call." Herds of buffalo arrive in the area days later. Hunting of buffalo occurs with the Indians and the explorers. Several of the members get frostbite.
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/images/mandhut.jpg (for pictures) -
Meriwhether Lewis assists Sacagawea in giving birth. He speeds her birth with rings from a ratlesnake's tail crushed to powder. The birth is successful, and the baby boy's name is Jean Baptiste.
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Lewis continues up the ridge of the Continental divide. At the top, he expected to see plains. But all he saw were more mountains.
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As Lewis and his men were heading west, he was spotted by Shoshone girls. After they were convinced the men came in peace, the girls returned to the tribe with the news. Lewis and his men were the first white men the Shoshone had ever seen, and a friendship was formed.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BitterrootMtnsMT.jpg (for pictures)
Lewis and his men pass into the Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho. After being trapped for eleven days, they escaped with an eaten horse and starving men. No man died in this incident. -
The Nez Perce comes to a decision to befriend the wexplorers. They get sick from gorging themselves on salmon and camas roots. The Chief named Twisted Hair shows them how to make canoes out of hollow pine trees.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~idreserv/joseph.gif ( for pictures)
http://lewisandclarktrail.com/salmon.htm (for pictures) -
Lewis, Clark, and their men all had a vote about whether to build a fort on the south side of the Colombia River. Sacagawea surprisingly was able to participate in this vote also. It was decided that Fort Clatsop would be built on the south side of the Colombia River. This is where they spent the winter.
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The explorers suffer through a rainy and dreary winter. This prevents them from exploring much. The members feel homesickness. There are only 12 days without rain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_clatsop.jpg (for pictures) -
After running out of whiskey, the men run out of tobacco. One of the men suggeststo use the bark fron crabtrees. This suggestion is supported, and it is used as a substitute for tobacco.
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The Nez Perce meet with the explorers at the base of the Bitterroot Mountains. They have to wait for the snow to melt in order to progress, so the Indians and the explorers become friends. They exchange food and leave up the Bitterroot Mountains after the melts.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~idreserv/joseph.gif ( for pictures) -
Lewis and Clark set camp on Jul 26th to spend the night. The next morning, eight Blackfoot Indians were caught stealing the men's supplies. Two Blackfoot warriors were killed; the only bloodshed on the expedition.
http://franceshunter.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/blackfoot_on_horseback.jpg (for pictures)
