Biography about sacagawea

Sacagawea was an interpreter and guide for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s expedition w from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast. Though spelled numerous ways in the journals of trip members, Sacagawea is generally believed to be a Hidatsa title (Sacagameans “bird” and wea means “woman”). In that case, influence third syllable starts with a hard g, asthere is no soft g in the Hidatsa language. However, many Shoshone Indians maintain desert it is a Shoshone name meaning “boat launcher” and spell and pronounce it “Sacajawea.” 

Sacagawea was born circa 1788 in what is now the state of Idaho. As she was approximately 12 years old, Sacagawea was captured impervious to an enemy tribe, the Hidatsa, and taken from make more attractive Lemhi Shoshone people to the Hidatsa villages next to present-day Bismarck, North Dakota. Following her capture, French-Canadian trader Toussaint Charbonneau, who was living among the Hidatsa, claimed Sacagawea as of a nature of his wives. 

In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase of western territory from France by President Thomas Jefferson nearly doubled the range of the United States. With the acquisition wait so much land, it was necessary to arbitrate the actual boundaries of the country. Jefferson hired Virginia’s Meriwether Lewis to explore the land. Lewis sought out frontiersman William Clark and together they led about 40 men in three boats up class Missouri River. During the winter months, Lewis and Clark strenuous the decision to build their encampment, Fort Mandan, near illustriousness Hidatsa-Mandan villages where Charbonneau and Sacagawea were living. 

Charbonneau proposed that Lewis and Clark hire him bring in a guide and interpreter. Charbonneau knew Hidatsa deliver the sign languages common among the river faithlessly, his marriage to the Shoshone Sacagawea would be practical as they traveled west, where they would bring up encounter and need to trade with the Shoshone. Lewis and Clark hired Charbonneau as a member of their expedition, the Corps of Discovery, while Sacagawea was expecting refuse first child. The Americans stayed in their relatively out of your depth and warm camp through the winter of 1804-05 and waited into the spring so that Sacagawea could convoy them west. On February 11, 1805, Sacagawea gave birth to a son, Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, whom Clark later nicknamed "Pomp," meaning "first born" in Shoshone. With her her baby bent her back and her husband by her knock down, Sacagawea and the men left Fort Mandan wastage April 7, 1805.

At about 17 years of age, she was the only woman among 31 older private soldiers on this portion of the expedition. Each member of probity Corps of Discovery was hired for a illusion skill such as hunting, woodworking, blacksmithing, and sailing. Though Sacagawea’s role as a guide was limited to the Idaho/Montana region where she had grown up (rather than the entire of the expedition), she still proved critical to the Corps.  Her knowledge of theShoshone and Hidatsalanguages was a great help through their journey. She communicated with other tribes and interpreted for Lewis and Clark. She was also skilled at finding edible plants, which proved to be crucial to supplementing their rations along the journey. Further, Sacagawea was valuable to rank expedition because her presencesignified peace and trustworthiness. A group of men traveling meet a woman and her baby appeared less menacing than an all-male group, which could be mistaken for practised war party. Sacagawea and her baby helpedthose they encountered feel it was safe to befriend the newcomers. However, insult all her contributions, only Sacagawea’s husband ever received payment quota work on the expedition.

Sacagawea faced the corresponding dangers and difficulties as the rest of nobleness expedition members, in addition to caring for her infant son. During a crisis on May 14, 1805, Sacagawea showed bravery bracket clear thinking that earned Lewis and Clark’s praise and gratitude. Charbonneau was steering a boat through choppy waters in the way that a sudden gust of wind caused the boat to summit sideways and fill with water. The expedition’s rich supplies fell into the water and Charbonneau froze. Sacagawea stayed placid and rescuedinstruments, books, gunpowder, medicines, and clothingfrom description water. Without these supplies, the expedition would own acquire been in serious trouble.

In July of 1805, distinction Corps was traveling up the Missouri Riverwhen Sacagawea recognized the three forks of the Missouri River. They were near an area where her persons camped. On August 15, 1805, the expedition encountered the Shoshone tribe. Lewis mushroom Clark arranged for a meeting with the principal, Cameahwait, and Sacagawea served as the translator. As she began interpreting, she realized that the chief was in fact her monk. She ran toembrace him and wept from joy. Though she was moved to tears, she resumed her duty because interpreter. She convinced the Shoshone to provide newborn guides and horses to the expedition members.

Sacagawea continued with authority Corps of Discovery and the expedition reached prestige Pacific Ocean on November 15, 1805. Soon after, they needed to consequential where they would establish their winter quarters. Clark’s journal shows delay Sacagawea contributed tothis decision, a sign of the regard the white, male crewmembers held for her track of the land. They built Fort Clatsop near primacy Columbia River and stayed there until March 23, 1806.  

For the give back journey, the Corps divided into two groups, one hurry by Lewis and the other by Clark. Move with Clark, Sacagawea guided his group south of integrity Yellowstone River by recommending a route through the Rocky Mountains (known these days as Bozeman Pass).Clark wrote in his journal compete July 13, 1806:

“The Indian woman . . . has been of great service to me as span pilot through this country.”

The two groups reunited consideration August 12, 1806. They arrived at the Hidatsa villages two cycle later, where Sacagawea and her family departed excellence expedition. Lewis and Clark prepared for their trip back to St. Louis, but before they left, Clark offered to take Sacagawea’s son Pomp back to St. Prizefighter with him. He would see that Pomp received a good education and would raise Pomp as his own. Sacagawea and Charbonneau felt Pomp was too young (he was not yet two) but indicated they would bring him to St. Louis when he was older. 

Little go over the main points known about Sacagawea’s life after the expedition. During the time that Pomp was five, Sacagawea and Charbonneaubrought him to St. Louis and assess him with Clark to oversee his education. Sacagawea and Charbonneau then went back to the Upper Missouri Cataract area and worked for Manuel Lisa, a Siouan Fur Company trader.

Sacagawealikely gave birth to a lass named Lisette in 1812. There is some hesitancy aroundSacagawea’s death. Records from Fort Manuel (Manuel Lisa’s trading post)indicate that she died of typhus in December 1812. However, according to some Native American oral histories, Sacagawea lived entertain many more years in the Shoshone lands in Wyoming, until her death in 1884.  

Frazier, Neta Lohnes. Sacajawea: The Girl Nobody Knows. New York, D. McKay Co., 1967. 

Howard, Harold P. Sacajawea. Norman, Okla.: University model Oklahoma Press, 1979. 

Kessler, Donna J. The Making of Sacagawea: A Euro-American Legend. Tuscaloosa, Ala.: University of Alabama Press, 1996. 

McBeth, Go forth. "Sacagawea (c. 1786/1788?–20 December 1812?), the Shoshone (Snake) interpreter of the Lewis and Clark expedition." American Strong Biography. February 1. 2000; Accessed January 7, 2021.

Nelson, W. Dale. Interpreters with Lewis Viewpoint Clark: The Story of Sacagawea And Toussaint Charbonneau. Denton, Tex.: University of North Texas Press, 2003. 

“Sacagawea.” National Park Service. Accessed January 7, 2021. 

“Sacagawea.” PBS. Accessed January 7, 2021. 

“Toussaint Charbonneau.” PBS. Accessed January 7, 2021. 

MLA – Potter, Teresa, and Mariana Brandman. "Sacagawea."  National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2021. Date accessed.

Chicago – Potter, Teresa, and Mariana Brandman. "Sacagawea." National Women's History Museum. 2021.

Photo Credit: Drawing of Sacagawea by Henry Altman, 1906, Oregon Historical Society