The Lewis and Clark Expedition (Part 3): Montana (1805)
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- The journey of Lewis and Clark to the Pacific (and back home) is one of America's most iconic stories. Frankly, not one of them should've survived this trip...but they did...all but one (and he died of causes unrelated to the expedition). It's a journey of grit, hardship, failure, joy, and triumph.
In this third session, travel with the Corps of Discovery from the Mandan Villages, ND to the Bitterroot Mountains of western Montana in their second full season (1805). Along the way, the party will battle grizzlies, mosquitoes, wind, hail, heat and cold as they cross some of the majestic and beautiful territory in Big Sky Country.
This Corps of 33 persons (including Sacagawea and her months old baby boy "Pomp") will navigate the Missouri River through the "breaks" and the "Gates of the Mountains" to the "Three Rivers" (portaging five "great falls" at one point). They'll find horses (and a surprise) when they meet Sacagawea's native Shoshone. And they cross the steep and perilous Bitterroot mountains through Lolo Pass to find friendship with the Nez Perce. It's an amazing, epic tale!
Dr. Rick Chromey is a Lewis and Clark historian and guest speaker for American Cruise Lines on the Columbia/Snake rivers of the Pacific Northwest. He also speaks to schools, community clubs and other interested organizations about Lewis and Clark and Oregon Trail history.
For more information: www.rickchromey.com
HEY RICK ! Thank you for making this series. I have been very interested in Lewis and Clark in Montana and here you are ! 😄 Huge Appreciation for this .
Thanks friend! I'm up to my Missouri Breaks shoulder blades writing a BOOK on Lewis and Clark right now and I haven't been able to record any new installments. Hopefully, I'll get another video done in March for everyone. Need to get these boys (and Sacagawea) to the Pacific before winter.
Love the great falls of montana. Nice city there named great falls. Northern montana gem... Love going there
I was a park ranger at Lemhi Pass and the staff historian at the Sacajawea Center in Salmon. I had the honor of portraying Pvt. Hugh McNeal in the re-enactment of the arrival at Lemhi Pass on August 12, 2005. I agree with you on Sacagawea's commitment to the expedition. She, too, was an explorer.
At the Sacajawea Center one day two Shoshone women were in the audience during my interpretive program on the Charbonneau family. When someone asked me about Sacagawea's decision to continue on with the Corps of Discovery, I asked the Shoshone ladies for their opinion. They said that even today in their culture, when a woman marries a man who is not Shoshone, she is expected to leave with her husband if he so chooses.
Another factor was the stark fact that her people lived in the shadow of violence and hunger. They were preyed upon regularly by the Atsina, Hidatsa and Blackfoot. During her five year absence, all but three members of her extended family had died.
Thanks for the added commentary and history, friend. Good stuff!
Newly subscribed! Awesome history about Lewis and Clark! The best I’ve watched on CZcams. Would love to see you do another series on their return home.
Welcome aboard! I will be handling their return to St. Louis in a future installment. Thank you everyone for your patience. The research and writing process has created delays in these videos, but I hope to get them recorded soon.
Super excited for the next installment! These videos are amazing! Super interesting to hear about all of this history from my home state of Montana, and I’m super excited to learn more about the history of my current state Idaho!
Very well done series. Thank you.
The funny thing to me is when you describe what they say at Lemhi Pass, “mountain after mountain after mountain” which is just how I describe that view to others (I’ve seen that view). I think Lewis must have said “s**t” or that day’s equivalent. 😂😂
I would love to know more about the history in Idaho regarding the river of no return, and what their journals specifically said about that river. I’m planning to go out there this year and I’m very intrigued, by the fact that Lewis and Clark started down that direction.
When Lewis and Clark reached the spine of the Rockies and ventured into Idaho, they learned of another way to get to the "stinky water" or Pacific Ocean. However, that route took them into a more desert region and south than they preferred to go, so the captains elected to keep heading north and west, eventually picking up the Clearwater river. You can read what their journals said about the Salmon River in Aug-Sept 1805 through this link to Gary Moulton's journals online: lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&qfield=text&qtext=salmon+river
The Clearwater is where the Nez Perce taught the Corps how to make burned out canoes. In the fall of 1805, they were now behind schedule but everything was downhill from this point. They traveled faster and farther in a day with the water working to their favor.
Incidently, where the Clearwater River reaches the Snake is the Idaho-Washington border. It's also home to the twin cities of Lewiston (ID) and Clarkston (WA). Lewiston and Clarkston.
Great lesson, Rick! One thing: when you're talking about the Great Falls, you have a photo of Indians fishing for salmon. It's a mural at the L&C Center that depicts (I think) the Dalles.
It's at 26:20 if you want to edit it.
@@user-po3yd4do9e interesting. When I googled "Great Falls and Lewis and Clark" it was one of the first images attached. It's very possible--even likely--this is Celilo Falls near The Dalles, OR (since the Indians are fishing for salmon). Were there salmon on the Missouri in 1805?
I will see if I can correct. If not, this conversation will note the error is acknowledged. And thank you for pointing it out.
@@rickchromey To my knowledge, there is no salmon fishing on the Missouri.
Also, the reason the iron boat didn't work is that they couldn't find pitch to seal the seams. There were no pine trees in this area at the time.
@@user-po3yd4do9e yes, I knew that. They created a special mix (beeswax?) to replace the pine pitch. There was also a problem with the stitching. The needle tore a bit larger hole than they needed and created drips. Lewis wasn't optimistic the iron boat would float (an it didn't). It's why they buried it at their Upper Portage Camp. On their way back through Great Falls in 1806, the iron boat (which they lugged all the way from West Virginia) was still left buried...showing how useless they felt it was!
Thankfully, your interpretive center has a good model for us to see!
I enjoy this series very much.....when will #4 be available....thanks
It's coming shortly! It's currently in editing. Thanks everyone for being patient.
This has been such a helpful presentation. I’m reading the Stephen Ambrose book and this is a great companion listen. Is there a session 4?
The short answer is yes. I have 3 more presentations in this series. I'm also writing a book on Lewis and Clark and heavy in the research phase (in the future, I plan to break these presentations down further to share some of the great stories and details I didn't have time to handle).
These presentations were originally created for my guests on American Cruise Lines (Columbia and Snake Rivers) who, due to excursions, can't always get to my on-board lectures. However, I'm happy to see so many others enjoying this great story.
I do hope to record two more sessions this month and get them edited and posted. Thank you for your patience.
@@rickchromeyAwesome! Let me know when your book gets published. I want to get it and read it. Greetings from Japan!
@@rickchromeyExcited to see the next episode!
Great delivery! Thank you!
How would a family from michigan deliver an Indian lady back on the western side of the Bitteroots , prior the the expedition?
That's a good question and it's a hard to answer. The problem with this story is it's ORAL TRADITION. There are several variations. You heard me say Michigan (probably did, I can't remember) but it could've been Minnesota or Wisconsin too. It was one of those states where she grew up with the white family.
I'll do some more research and see if there's something more definitive. My impression was they didn't personally take her, but financed or coordinated her return to the area. And she didn't have to return to the "western side of the Bitterroots" either. The Shoshone only summered there to escape the heat and persecution by Hidatsa and Blackfeet tribes. They wintered in the Three Forks area (September to April/May).
It's why Sacagawea thinks they could be around the next corner when she sees Three Forks or the Beaverhead Rock. Her people are migrating down to the valley for winter. Similarly, Watkuweis could've been "delivered" or brought to Three Forks to meet her people in Southwest Montana.
@@rickchromey that you for that detailed reply. Its very interesting to think about. I enjoyed your talk/presentation.
Not a doctor. Does not practice medicine.
No, Lewis is not a "certified doctor" in our view and current 21st century context...but he was a "field doctor" in this expedition and trained for the work.
By early 19th century standards, Meriwether Lews was well-educated (a doctor's diploma in his day was largely a brief instructional period, followed by an internship for a year to 18 months under another practicing doctor). Lewis received a good medical foundation through Dr. Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia, as he prepared for the expedition in 1802-1803. Rush was considered the top doctor in the U.S., if not the world, at that time.
Lewis' mother (Lucy) was also known for her expertise in herbal medications and Lewis (by his use of herbal medications on the trail) was clearly influenced, if not personally taught, by her.
So while we must be careful in calling Lewis a full "doctor" (on the same par as Dr. Benjamin Rush), there's no issue with referencing him as a "field doctor" or lay practitioner of medicine. In fact, both Lewis and Clark were known as "doctors" among the Indians--who routinely (particularly on their return voyage on the Columbia and Snake rivers in 1806) used their medical expertise for healing.