Sacagawea Discovery of American Territories Essay

Tags: native american united states economic development native americans

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 1339 words ( 4 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 5

Page 1 of 4

Legacy of Sacagawea to a Discovery of American Territories




Sacagawea was a bilingual Shoshone woman who had been remembered for her immense contribution to the American history. Born in 1788, Sacagawea accompanied Clark and Lewis' Corps to assist in the discovery of many parts of Northern America from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky mountain. Sacagawea skills as a translator were invaluable for the expeditions in passing through the difficult terrain. Her contribution to the United States made Sacagawea become the monument in the American history. Sacagawea was the native American Shoshone tribe and grew up at the surrounding of the Rocky mountain near the Salmon River region now referred as Idaho.



The objective of this essay is to illustrate the contribution of Sacagawea in the U.S. history during the era of Reconstruction.
 

Sacagawea Contribution in the Reconstruction Era of the U.S. history




Sacagawea was 12 years old when the Hidatsa warriors raided and waged war against her tribe, and captured many young people. Sacagawea was among the people captured, and she lived with Hidatsa people for few years before she was gambled or sold away to the French-Canadian trader, Toussaint Charbonneau, in 1804. Over two years, she lived among the Native Americans and adopted their traditions. After some years, Sacagawea became the Charbonneau's wives. (Bright, 2004).



Sacagawea invaluable contribution was known after President Thomas Jefferson ordered the Louisiana to be purchased from France in 1803, The place was 823,000 square miles and completely unexplored territory. The place was to be explored with the hope of developing a waterway that would connect the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. However, Roosevelt wanted the explorers who would search the passage to survey the natural landscape. Meanwhile, the president Roosevelt ordered Meriwether Lewis, his secretary, to head the Discovery Expedition, Lewis formal military as a subordinate, and William Clark as the co-captain.

Stuck Writing Your "Sacagawea Discovery of American Territories" Essay?

View All Our Example Sacagawea Discovery of American Territories Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

After several months of planning for the expedition, Clark, Lewis and other group reached the Hidatsa-Mandan village, which was 60 miles to the northwest of the place presently identified as Bismarck, South Dakota in November 1804 where Sacagawea was residing. At the time, Sacagawea was 6 months pregnant. Their encounter with Sacagawea was a chance because they recognized Sacagawea's language skills as the potential values to the expeditions. When Sacagawea joined the expedition, she became the celebrated explorer and interpreter who guided the explorers towards the Pacific Ocean. (Fresonke, & Spence, 2004).



Essentially, all the Corps members spoke English and only Francois Labiche spoke French and English. However, Charbonneau spoke Hidatsa and French while Sacagawea spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa. Thus, the Corps realized that with the presence of the translation chain, it would be possible to communicate effectively with the Shoshone tribes because Shoshone had horses they intended to purchase for the transportation. Without horses, they would face enormous problems in transporting supplies over the Rocky mountain and towards the Pacific. Within a month, they reached the Pacific Ocean, however, the tragedy that happened in the Pacific Ocean earned Sacagawea a lot of respect because the boat which they were using to travel capsized. When a squall hit the boat, Charbonneau, and the navigators panicked. It was Sacagawea who was able to gather the navigational instruments, crucial books, medicines, papers, and other provisions. If not for her intervention, all these crucial materials would have otherwise disappeared. At the same time, she was able to ensure her baby's safety. In appreciation, the explorers named a place for the remembrance of Sacagawea. Moreover, all the Corps developed a close bond with Sacagawea and they allowed her to walk with them along the shore. (Park, 2012).



During the expedition, Sacagawea put her naturalist's skills and knowledge into a great….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


References


Anderson, I.W. (1976). Fort Manuel: Its Historical Significance. he South Dakota State Historical Society.

Bright, W 2004). Native American Place Names in the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 413

Fresonke, K., & Spence, M. D. (2004). Lewis & Clark: Legacies, Memories, and New Perspectives. University of California Press.

Park, I. (2012). A Grammar of Hidatsa. Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington. p. 36.

Sacajaweacenter.org (2013) "Sacajawea Interpretive, Cultural, and Educational Center." Accessed From Sacajaweacenter.org. Retrieved 09/ 02/2016.

sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Sacagawea Discovery Of American Territories" (2016, September 02) Retrieved May 5, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/sacagawea-discovery-of-american-territories-essay

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Sacagawea Discovery Of American Territories" 02 September 2016. Web.5 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/sacagawea-discovery-of-american-territories-essay>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Sacagawea Discovery Of American Territories", 02 September 2016, Accessed.5 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/sacagawea-discovery-of-american-territories-essay
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example