Jean F. Blashfield - The Amazing Lewis and Clark Expedition

At the time slaves generally were not allowed to carry guns. But throughout the expedition, York carried one for hunting.

The Lewis and Clark expedition left St. Louis on May 14, 1804. The men traveled in three boats. The largest was a 55-foot- (17-meter-) long canoe.

the Corps of Discovery on a keelboat

The trip was expected to take about a year and a half. The group planned to travel northwest along the Missouri River. They hoped to reach the Rocky Mountains by the winter of 1804, which was at the time seven months away. From there they would cross what they thought was a short pass to the Columbia River. This would lead them to the Pacific Ocean by spring 1805. They planned to be back in St. Louis by the fall of 1805.

Northwest travel along the Missouri River turned out to be more difficult than the leaders expected. They were constantly attacked by mosquitoes and ticks. Only the smoke from campfires and smearing themselves with grease helped solve these problems.

Both Clark and Lewis were excellent leaders and outdoorsmen. Clark loved to talk and tell jokes. He usually Missouri River with his dog, Seaman.

By August the expedition had reached what would become were filled with buffalo. The men hunted and ate their first buffalo on August 23. They also enjoyed turkeys, geese, beaver, and fish.

Lewis and Clark kept detailed creatures that the men had never seen before also lived there.

During the expedition, Lewis and Clark noted at least 202 new species of plants and animals that they had never seen before, including the grizzly bear.

The expedition met some Otoe and Missouria people in August. They were among the Plains Indians who lived in the large grassland region. The Otoe and Missouria were friendly.

However, the explorers soon met the gifts the explorers brought, but the gifts caused problems too.

One Sioux chief felt he was not offered enough, and he tried to take one of the expeditions boats. One hundred Sioux stood on shore and pointed arrows at the explorers. Lewis ordered his men to aim their guns at the Sioux. The American Indians backed down and left.

By November the explorers were in what would become central North Dakota, home of the Mandan people. The Mandan were welcoming and pleased with the explorers gifts. The two groups became friends and smoked a peace pipe together.

As the cold winter approached, the explorers decided to stay in North Dakota until spring. They built a fort and called it Fort Mandan. During the winter months, the explorers learned about the America Indians way of life and the land ahead.