Imagine the time when most people in the eastern part of the United states had no idea wha was on the other side of the Mississippi river.
That was the case at the beginning of the nineteenth century. when Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the third president of the United States. The nation was only eighteen years old then had about five million people.
They were + living between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River.
President Jefferson wanted control over the Indian Tribes , who were living throughout the continent . In addition , he wanted to find a land passage to the Pacific Ocean .
He was + hoping to create a country that went from sea to sea.
Meriwether Lewis was working as an aide to the president . Jefferson appointed Lewis and his Friend William Clark to lead the dangerous, 33 man expedition to the Northwest ,through rivers and other the rocky mountains .
The expedition left St. Luois in may 1804( specific time must use past tense ) .
As the men were going down the Missouri River , Clark stayed on the boat and drew maps and planned the course .
Lewis often + stayed on the land to study animals and plants .
While they were crossing the continent, they met some Indian tribes who were helpful.
But they also met some who were hostile .
By the time the expedition reached North Dakota, Winter was fast approaching . They needed to wait until spring to cross the Rocky Mountains. As they were waiting out the winter , they met a Shoshone woman, Sacagawea and her canadian husband. With their help , the expedition started the most dangerous part of the journey. Crossing the Rockey Mountains. They were going to need horses . Sacagewa healped them get horses from her tribe.
(shoshone woman picture )
shoshone women and her tribe.While they were traveling, they faced many hardships : hunger, danger from bears and bad weather and uncertainty about their future. Several times, while they were sleeping,their horses were stolen. They had no communication with anyone back east , No one even knew if they were still alive.
In 1805, tired but successful, they finally made it to the Pacific.
When they returned to the St louis , almost two and a half years later, the people of St. Louis were waiting to greet them.
They were heroes.
