Why sacagawea is important

Although she was only 16 years old and the only female in an exploration group of more than 45 people, she was ready to courageously make her mark in American history. In , President Thomas Jefferson bought more than , square miles of land from France in what was called the Louisiana Purchase. To explore this new part of the country, Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a two-year journey to report on what they found.

They needed local guides to help them through this unknown territory. Sacagawea, a young Native American, joined them. Born to a Shoshone chief around , Sacagawea had been kidnapped by an enemy tribe when she was about 12, then sold to a French-Canadian trapper. Sacagawea soon became a respected member of the group. She was skilled at finding plants for food and medicine to help keep the explorers alive.

When a boat capsized on the Missouri River as they were crossing into what is now Montana , Sacagawea saved important books and much-needed supplies.

When they needed horses to cross rough terrain, she convinced a Shoshone tribe—led by her long-lost brother—to give them some. Soon Sacagawea discovered that the chief was her brother Cameahwait. After they reached the Pacific Ocean and on the way back Clark wrote the following entry on his journal. It is dated July 13, This entry by Clark shows that Sacagawea proved to be an asset to the expedition and that he trusted her recommendation.

The interpreting process was cumbersome. The process was reversed when Chief Cameahwait spoke. This multistage communication was common at the time when multiple tribes spoke different languages, oral interpretation was complemented with sign language. The meeting with the Shoshone was crucial to the success of the expedition as they needed to gather horses to carry supplies across the Rockies. The importance of meeting with the Shosones was described by Lewis in this entry on August 8, For without horses we shall be obliged to leave a great part of our stores, of which , it appears to me that we have a stock already sufficiently small for the length of the voyage before us.

Thanks to Sacagawea and to her relation with her brother, Chief Cameahwait, the expedition was able to trade horses and borrow a guide to lead them through the mountains. Sacagawea proved to be a very resourceful traveler. Journal entries show that she introduced native roots and fruits to the members of the expedition.

One month after their departure from Fort Mandan Clark observed:. The day before this journal entry the expedition was hit by a wind storm which capsized the boat where Charbonneau was travelling. The boat carried important scientific information gathered in journals as well as medicine and tools.

Charbonneau, who did not know how to swim, panicked instead of collecting the goods while Sacagawea reached for them. Her level headed behavior saved documents and tools that would have been lost forever.

As the expedition was approaching the Pacific coast they met a group of Chinook and as it was common they exchanged gifts. At the initial meeting the locals gave the explorers two very much needed black bear fur coats for the upcoming winter.

They were, however, responsible for giving Euro-Americans the first descriptions of many kinds of plants and animals.

They created maps and detailed descriptions of the terrain, particularly the Rocky Mountains, and learned and wrote about the culture of the Native American nations they came across. Sacagawea proved to be an invaluable resource on the expedition. She served as translator because she knew the native languages, which helped her negotiate trades with local tribes and explain that her group had come in peace.

She also served as their guide because she had been born and raised in the region and was familiar with the land—not only where to go but also how to use it. At this time she was only about 15 years old and had just given birth to her first child. Much of what is known of the journey and of Sacagawea's helpful role was found in diaries of Lewis and Clark.

The territories the group explored were areas of the U. Lewis and Clark and their team traveled by foot, horseback, and by boat through the territory, exploring the plants, animal species and geography. While there is no definitive record of how many miles total were traveled, it is estimated to be approximately 7, miles about 12, kilometers. Not much historical data exists about Sacagawea's early life.

Most historians agree she was born around the year in Lemhi Valley, the eastern part of what is now the state of Idaho. For the next two years, she accompanied them with her young son before returning to North Dakota in After the expedition, Sacagawea and Charbonneau spent three years living among the Hidatsa in North Dakota and then accepted Clark's invitation to move where he lived in St. Louis, Missouri. In , Sacagawea gave birth to a daughter. Historical documents suggest that Sacagawea died just two years later of an unknown sickness.

Clark legally adopted her two children in So why is Sacagawea an important American to know? Her presence as a woman helped dispel notions to the Native tribes that they were coming to conquer and confirmed the peacefulness of their mission. Her ability to speak the Native American languages helped greatly and her knowledge of the landscape proved invaluable.