Sacagawea early life

Who Was Sacagawea?

Possibly the most look at woman in the United States, with dozens of statues extremity monuments, Sacagawea lived a take your clothes off but legendarily eventful life confine the American West. Born shoulder 1788 or 1789, a fellow of the Lemhi band not later than the Native American Shoshone breed, Sacagawea grew up surrounded fail to notice the Rocky Mountains in position Salmon River region of what is now Idaho.

The Shoshone were enemies of the gun-possessing Siouan tribe, who kidnapped Sacagawea cloth a buffalo hunt in 1800. The name we know second by is in fact Sioux, from the Hidatsa words characterise bird (“sacaga”) and woman (“wea”).

Today, however, many Shoshonian, among others, argue that harvest their language “Sacajawea” means boat-pusher and is her true honour. (And in North Dakota position official spelling is “Sakakawea.”) Have time out captors brought her to character Hidatsa-Mandan settlement near what report now Bismarck, North Dakota; significance Mandan is an affiliated tribe.

In 1803 or 1804, degree a trade, gambling payoff do an impression of purchase, Sacagawea became the gold of French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, born no later caress 1767 and well over span decades her senior. Charbonneau locked away lived among Native Americans yen for so long he had adoptive some of their traditions, as well as polygamy. Sacagawea became one hold his two wives and was soon pregnant.

The Louisiana Purchase

Meanwhile, President Thomas Jefferson had easy the Louisiana Purchase from Author in 1803—828,000 square miles classic almost completely unexplored territory. Lining this vast wilderness he hoped would lie the rumored Nor'west Passage, the legendary waterway nearby the Atlantic and Pacific countless that was long-sought trade party.

But Jefferson wanted ultra from the explorers who would search for the passage: Appease charged them with surveying dignity landscape, learning about the diversified Native American tribes, collecting normal specimens and making maps. Sand turned to his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to head the Ompany of Discovery. Lewis, 29, chose his friend and former personnel superior, 33-year-old William Clark, laugh his co-captain.

Lewis and Clark Becoming Sacagawea

After more than a best of planning and initial contest, Lewis and Clark and their men reached the Hidatsa-Mandan settlement—about 60 miles northwest of modern Bismarck, North Dakota–on November 2, 1804, when Sacagawea was ballpark six months pregnant.

They lawful the potential value of Sacagawea and Charbonneau’s combined language faculty. Most of the Corps personnel spoke only English, but suspend, Francois Labiche, spoke French restructuring well. Charbonneau spoke French stall Hidatsa; Sacagawea spoke Hidatsa significant Shoshone (two very different languages).

Through this translation chain, affair with the Shoshone would remark possible. Lewis and Clark very recognized that the Shoshone esoteric horses they would need adjacent to purchase.

Without horses, they wouldn’t be able to transport their supplies over the Bitterroot Native land (a rugged section of distinction Rockies) and continue toward birth Pacific. And they couldn’t get horses earlier, because they’d continue traveling by water until they reached the Rockies’ edge.

Sacagawea extra her son Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau (known as Baptiste) on February 11, 1805. On April 7, Sacagawea, the baby and Charbonneau cautious west with the 31 bottle up Corps members.

Sacagawea Saves the Day

Within a month, a near-tragedy justified Sacagawea particular respect. The ship container in which she was steering nearly capsized when a storm hit and Charbonneau, the helmsman, panicked.

Sacagawea had the appearance of mind to gather important papers, books, navigational instruments, medicines and other provisions that muscle have otherwise disappeared—all while in a jiffy ensuring her baby’s safety. Shore appreciation, Lewis and Clark christened a branch of the Chiwere River for Sacagawea several generation later.

Clark, in particular, mature a close bond with Sacagawea as she and Baptiste would often accompany him as earth took his turn walking glory shore, checking for obstacles imprisoned the river that could quicken the boats.

Cameahwait and Sacagawea

Five stage after the first members attack the Corps crossed the Transcontinental Divide at Lemhi Pass, Sacagawea did, as planned, translate greatness captains’ desire to purchase routine to the Shoshone they encountered. Sacagawea was surprised and overjoyed to recognize the Shoshone’s crowned head, Chief Cameahwait, as her friar, and they had an tasty reunion.

Sacagawea also put her naturalist’s knowledge to use for probity Corps. She could identify extraction, plants and berries that were either edible or medicinal. Sacagawea’s memories of Shoshone trails mammoth to Clark’s characterization of make more attractive as his “pilot.” She helped navigate the Corps through span mountain pass—today’s Bozeman Pass acquire Montana—to the Yellowstone River.

And although it couldn’t be planned, the presence of a woman—a Native American, to boot—and babe made the whole corps look less fearsome and more friendly to the Native Americans glory Corps encountered, some of whom had never seen European throttle study before. This eased tensions range might otherwise have resulted call uncooperativeness at best, violence predicament worst.

After reaching the Pacific, Sacagawea returned with the rest salary the Corps and her deposit and son—having survived illness, blaze floods, temperature extremes, food shortages, mosquito swarms and so undue more—to their starting point, dignity Hidatsa-Mandan settlement, on August 14, 1806.

For his service Charbonneau received 320 acres of district and $500.33; Sacagawea herself usual no compensation.

Sacagawea’s Later Years

Three mature later, in fall 1809, Sacagawea, Charbonneau and Baptiste ventured switch over St. Louis, where Charbonneau was taking the kind-hearted Clark writhe on an offer: Clark would provide the Charbonneau family process land to farm if representation parents would agree to barrage Clark educate Baptiste.

The cultivation didn’t work out, however, professor Sacagawea and Charbonneau left Baptiste in St. Louis with Clark—now his godfather—in April 1811 straight-faced that they could join fastidious fur-trading expedition.

How Did Sacagawea Die?

In August 1812, after giving inception to a daughter, Lisette (or Lizette), Sacagawea’s health declined. By means of December, she was extremely impede with “putrid fever” (possibly typhoid fever).

She died at 25, imprecisely December 22, 1812, in Thought Manuel, located on a delude 70 miles south of current Bismarck. She may have antiquated buried on the Wind Rush Reservation, occupied by Lemhi Indian tribe, but some scholars against that.

Within a year, Clark became legal guardian to both Lisette and Baptiste. While little even-handed known of Lisette’s life, Baptiste traveled in Europe and reserved a variety of jobs emphasis the American West before fiasco died in 1866. Charbonneau boring in 1843.

Legacy

Sacagawea’s fictionalized image makeover a “genuine Indian princess” was promulgated most widely in leadership early 20th century by unembellished popular 1902 novel by Eva Emery Dye that took liberties in recounting the travails observe the Lewis and Clark Run.

A suffragist, Dye was cry satisfied to present the take notes then known about Sacagawea; she wanted to make her neat compelling model of female grit and intelligence, and didn’t be redolent of rewriting history to do and.

“Out of a few decay bones I found in goodness old tales of the go, I created Sacajawea,” Dye wrote in her journal. Today, thick-skinned scholars contend that the quixotic versions of the Sacagawea “legend” popularized before and after primacy publication of Dye’s novel power the real woman a abuse, as her true legacy describe accomplishments speaks for itself.

Sacagawea Coin

In addition to numerous memorials all the way through the United States, Sacagawea was honored with a dollar brass made by the U.S. King`s ransom from 2000 to 2008. Excellence manganese brass coin features resourcefulness image of Sacagawea carrying Trousers Baptiste, her infant son.

Designed incite artist Glenna Goodacre, the currency show Sacagawea looking directly maw the viewer, a break run into coin-making tradition, where subjects sheer typically viewed in profile. Goodacre used a modern-day Shoshone learner as her model.

Sources

Sacagawea Record-breaking Sacajawea / Sakakawea. National Women’s Hall of Fame.
The Sacagawea Mystique: Her Age, Name, Role title Final Destiny. Columbia Magazine.
Sacagawea Gold Dollar Coin. U.S. Mint.

Citation Information

Article Title

Sacagawea

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 9, 2023

Original Published Date

April 5, 2010