Episode 3: Lewis & Clark | Trailblazers of America | PragerU Kids

Back in 1803, American President Thomas Jefferson pulled off quite possibly the best real estate deal in history. The Mississippi River formed the western border of the United States. But because they controlled New Orleans, the French commanded trade and transportation in and out of the mighty river. This put the growing number of Americans who lived west of Appalachia in a bind. So Jefferson offered France as emperor, a fellow named Napoleon, $10 million in exchange for the port city. At the time, Napoleon was short on cash and countered with a proposal that seemed too good to be true. For an extra $5 million, the Americans could have not only New Orleans, but the entire [music] French held Louisiana territory. Without hesitating, a deal was struck. And just like that, America practically doubled its size. But these lands [music] from this Louisiana purchase were unknown to the Americans. And Jefferson needed [music] them explored. He needed a trailblazer. Actually, two. He needed Lewis and Clark. Merryweather Lewis and William Clark were chosen to lead the US Army's core of discovery into the great uncharted lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Their primary objective was figuring out if a waterway existed [music] between the Mississippi River and Pacific Ocean. But they were also ordered to map the lands, study the plants and animals, [music] and establish peaceful relations with Indian tribes. Lewis and Clark and their team of 45 took off near St. Louis, and began making their way up the Missouri River. Their speciallymade keelboat was packed with food, medicine, fort making supplies, mapmaking equipment, and gift bundles for the natives. But while peace was the goal, there was no telling who or what they'd meet. So just in case, they were ready for a fight. Not only did they have rifles, pistols, knives, and even swords, but [music] also cannons called blunder buses and a fancy new air gun contraption, which after being pumped up [music] could fire off 22 bullets before needing a refill. The team floated through the Louisiana territory, and the first handful of native tribes they met were welcoming, and meetings were pleasant. However, they warned things could be different up ahead in the Sue Indian lands where the Lakota and Omaha tribes [music] were in the middle of war. When the Lakota decided it was time to introduce themselves [music] to the Americans, they came with an intention to intimidate, hoping to scare the newcomers into turning around, Chief Black Buffalo [music] brought with him an army of war painted warriors. But Lewis and Clark didn't flinch. For four days, the two parties met, taking turns showing off how tough they were. The Indians regularly readied [music] their weapons, performed war dances, and showed off the scalps of their recent Omaha victims. In return, the Americans gladly readied [music] their weapons, too, and proudly gave demonstrations of what they were capable of. Reluctantly impressed [music] with their bravery and powerful technology, Black Buffalo begrudgingly allowed Louiswis and Clark's core of discovery to [music] pass and travel on. The team continued up the Missouri, seeing [music] things no American had ever seen before and even survived attacks from wolves and ferocious grizzly bears. Along the way, they met a remarkable young lady named Sack Jouia, who joined the expedition and served as [music] a valuable guide and translator. Eventually, they reached the majestic Rocky Mountains, which were much bigger and more vast than anticipated. The water ran out, so the core crossed the Continental Divide on foot before finding rivers on the other side big enough for handmade [music] canoes. Lewis and Clark rode their way to the Columbia River and then took the powerful waterway all the way to the coast. They passed breathtaking waterfalls and snowcap volcanoes. And near the river's mouth, they planted the stars and stripes, claiming the land for America. A fort named [music] Clatsup was built. And when the weather was right, Lewis and Clark led the long journey home. In September of 1806, after 862 days of traveling and more than 8,000 [music] mi covered, the core discovery triumphantly returned to St. Louis for a hero's welcome. Lewis and Clark hadn't found a continuous waterway to the ocean, but the expedition was still deemed an enormous success. They returned with maps galore, heaps of wildlife samples, [music] and evidence that if treated with respect, most of the Indians in Louisiana territory could be more than just trading partners. In fact, [music] if it wasn't for help from tribes like the Mandan, Shosonyi, and Nezpur, there's very little chance the Americans [music] would have even survived. Most importantly, Louiswis and Clark's [music] amazing journey was something the young nation could be proud of. America now stretched from [music] sea to shining sea. And while it now owned the Mississippi from top to bottom, lands to the east and west [music] of the river's mouth were still controlled by other nations. Our next trailblazer, a legendary [music] rifleman, would play a large part in getting that changed. [music] Keep the adventure going. Explore even more of America's Trailblazers in our book series. Visit pragerukids.com [music] to learn more.