The Poor Explorer's Feast: Lewis and Clark Expedition
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- čas přidán 16. 12. 2023
- For the Poor Explorer’s Feast, we focus on the Lewis and Clark expedition to learn what they were eating along their journey. It’s incredible reading these journals and understanding how much they needed to prepare for this expedition! They faced hardship after hardship on their trip out west, then had to turn around and make the trip safely back home. it’s an impressive story, and the food and survival technique is very interesting to uncover.
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One of the journals from the Lewis and Clark expedition www.townsends.us/products/gas...
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One of my coworkers saw me eating ship's biscuits + broth for lunch one day and asked me if I needed to talk to somebody
Lol😂
Should have offered him some. 😂
Why eat such fare at work, if I may ask!?
@@charlieross4674He works at a historical site as a reinactor.
No you didnt
As educational as this was, the thing I'm most blown away by is finally learning what succotash is. Thankfully he doesn't look to be sufferin'.
There's at least one succotash video on this channel. It's interesting, maybe the oldest dish they've made.
@@aarons3014it’s the oldest dish in the sense that Native Americans have been making it forever
@@Ulfrich_Stormcock point?
@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits Sufferin' succotash was Puddy Tat from the Bugs Bunny cartoons catchphrase.
@@Wisdom-Nuggets-Tid-Bits "point?" Really?
Don't forget that this was a military expedition and the men chosen to go on it were trained soldiers. They also had the latest and greatest of military technology, such as it was. As you said, the planning that went into the expedition was extraordinary and it was considered a tremendous success to the men who participated in it. Many of them became scouts afterward.
They took a rare, very expensive French made air rifle on the expedition, and killed small game with it. I thought they were a 1920's invention.
@@Bob_AdkinsI wonder if that's the rifle the guy made wood bullets for. Seems better suited to successfully launching a wood projectile than a black powder explosion
@@Bob_AdkinsThat particular air rifle was used by the Austrian light calvary. How it ended up in Lewis and Clark's hands I have no idea
@@ianfinrir8724trade. There weren’t gun laws like there are today. In fact guns were totally normal to constantly see. You would take weapons on travels and everywhere
Military expedition means the finest equipment at the lowest price.
That was some absolutely top-tier planning and logistics for a whole two-year expedition in those days to not have a single person starve. Beyond impressive. Also as a side note, I usually eat when watching these and there's a lotta gratitude I feel for some plain stir-fry or instant ramen or whatever I'm having. Probably not a very nice thing to do now that I think about it but we take those!
Reply with facts about Lewis and Clark's hunting and game if you HATE how people lived in history and LOVE our world of soulless technology!
@@Konarcoffee say that to the coyote or bear finding the carcass and having the time of there life
@@Konarcoffee It absolutely seems wastefull at first glance, but then you remember that feeding four dozen men every day while preserving as many rations as possible is no small feat. All that while burning a good several thousand kcal per man (up to 6000kcal) because they are carrying tonnes of equipment and need to care for horses and such while moving all the time. A kilo of pork is like 3000kcal and that's 45 men we're talking about. *every day* That makes it even more impressive, honestly. Those were some skilled hunters they had, to track and find prey this reliably with their whole party's lives on the line. These days we got tofu, coconut oil and GPS though so it would be less impressive to do such things.
@@Konarcoffee They hunted and killed large wild animals for food to survive and map the United States. Meanwhile in current times... 200 million chickens are slaughtered, every single day. Most of which never have seen daylight.
For one, we always need to mention that they never would've survived without the incredible help of various tribes of people along the way who both gave directions, traded with them, and taught them about the local flora and fauna most importantly.
Outside of that, it is incredible how Lewis was able to plan so well when his parameters were completely unknown. He had no idea how long the trip was going to be, how long it would take, or, at the time of his provisioning, even how many people would be in his full party! That's an absolute NIGHTMARE for planning anything, much less a multithousand mile journey into the unknown with no chance of support or rescue if anything went wrong and an outrageous amount of caloric and nutritional needs for the hard labor.
If only schools taught history like this, everyone would be inclined to learn about it.
We learned all about this when I was in school in Iowa. Probably studied it 2-3 times throughout the years in more advanced levels each time.
History is glossed over in schools which is a shame. I honestly think the schools should focus on American history, and Civics. Our country is suffering from ignorance of our founding.
Very straightforward, focused on a particular and important aspect of life through which all other things connect, neither pushing any particular angle nor glossing over any details, just stating it the way it was, and backing it up with direct sources. You can't beat that. That's so alien to what schools do, I think it's probably illegal.
i specifically learned about lewis and clark in school. early american history is one of the few things I did learn in school
@@temsmoss3925 Yeah but how long ago and what part of the country...
Having read the Lewis and Clark journals my takeaway was...they really loved eating Beaver tails. They always made a point to mention it.
Edit: I do recommend people read the journals. However, don't expect some sort of "adventure" novel. It's very dry and very matter of fact. It's literally just a compilation of "on this day this is what we did and/or this is what happened and/or this is what we saw".
Lots of entries about lashing people on their crew.
Interesting, I wonder how they were w
@@ScrumPMCWell I don't know about you but I don't ever plan to find out. Also, I don't recall if it was Lewis, Clark or both that kept writing about it, but at least one of them mentioned it multiple times talking about how great it was.
Seems kind of gross to me.
Side note: Townsend mentioned how the wine got some of the guys in trouble. lol...A LOT of things got the crew in trouble. Lewis and Clark were REAL big fans of whipping (lashing) people on the expedition for punishment. They documented it every single time. I don't think most people know there was around 45 people on that expedition.
Beavers a extremely good meat the tail is quite the process to prepare
@@ScrumPMCLike alligator tails, they're basically pure lean muscle tissue. But unlike alligator tail, not white meat.
A bit like venison or black bear in gaminess.
@@jdkgcpI've never eaten beaver tail, but ox tail and chicken tail are tasty enough.
Is it just me or are these simply the most engaging videos on youtube? Once I start watching, it's game on and my plans go out the window. Another awesome video from you guys!
First time in a Townsends vid?
I've probably watched over 100 of them in the last month. Once I get started, I can't stop.@@Wolvenworks
His voice, knowledge, enthusiasm and straight forwardness is really addictive and the info is well packed for me to see benefit, rly good idd
They did plan well and had survival skills. They also got a lot of help from the people already living along the way. From provisions to routes to knowledge of the landscapes they encountered, it was definitely a group effort.
Doing like the locals do it does have its lifelong benefits..
It defined the difference between success and failure in the North@@susanpeters4608
6:30
I find this level of improvisation to be so interesting. Breaking up a bunch of sticks to use as makeshift ammo is something you could really only do with an old fashioned black powder gun. It really makes me appreciate how appropriate the technology was at the time to have a weapon like this work so well in such a potentially dire situation.
Was it the black powder gun?
Or one of the air rifles they brought along
6:17 the grapes she’s just friends with and told you not to worry about
Cheers to portable soup, and exploring the culinary needs of this remarkable expedition! Wonderfully informing, filmed, and edited (as always). It would be interesting to learn a bit more about the paw-paw fruit they survived on near the end of their expedition.
More about the paw-paw czcams.com/video/-b6Ojpeb-oQ/video.html
Another great video. I am Potawatomi from NW Indiana. I love Native American culture. I am proud of my heritage.
I just wanted to let you know that your videos are a regular part of our homeschooling curriculum and my little ones love getting history lessons from your channel. Thank you so much!
The strength and perseverance necessary tu survive in those conditions is incredible. Working hard every single day just to live another day for 2 whole years travelling up a river... Makes me appreciate my bread, tea and warm home so much more.
Hearing them give soup to a sick native chief just makes me think of that one South Park episode. Where it's the opposite of the more familiar "sick settlers learn some old traditional medicine from the natives" instead like "hey guys, this is how WE treat sickness. We have soup." only back then they didn't have Dayquil or Sprite. But I bet it still helped!
Meriwether Lewis's grave is less than an hour from our house down the beautiful Natchez Trace, so we went to visit him last month. If you are looking for a children's version of the Lewis and Clark journey, I recommend "Of Courage Undaunted" by James Daugherty.
A number of years ago, when we were still homeschooling our kids, one of the gems we found at the library was a Lewis and Clark cookbook. It was all about the foods they ate during their expedition. There was a recipe in there for portable soup! I need to find myself a copy of that cookbook. It was pretty remarkable.
Ich mag euren Flimschnitt, sehr liebevoll zusammengestellt. Und ich verstehe nur die englische Sprache. Und euch kann ich sehr gut verstehen.
Hearing of the difficulties these people had to endure in their journey makes me appreciate what I have. Thanks for another amazing video!
I read a passage from "Undaunted Courage" where the corps encountered a small band of Natives that were starving and unable to kill a animal for food. Apparently when the corps kills a deer the Natives literally tear the carcass apart and eat it raw.
So we're just going to skim over the part where this man whittled bullets?
I was fortunate enough to have had several wonderful American history teachers in junior high and high school; if CZcams had existed in the 1970s, I'm pretty sure Townsend would have been a weekly assignmen! My 11th grade history teacher (and we were fortunate to have him, had a PhD in American history and chose to teach high school instead of college) opened his class with "History is the Great Human Soap Opera. Nothing you watch on TV or in the movies will ever top real life, but you have to be willing to go looking for it." Dr Smith would have loved Jon!
These are such a joy.
I grew up in north central Montana.. 15 miles from Point Disappointment ..where they had a small battle with 3 Blackfoot braves...
I remember my longest stretch in the Wilderness without access to roads, 12 days…I hiked up to 25 miles a day in the Sierra Nevada mountains and had too little food, rationed out around 1200 calories a day and on the last day maybe 400…it was a desperate, aching, depressing, ravenous kind of hunger. I cannot imagine their grit! In addition to water fear, not finding water was majorly scary for several hundred miles and it was a daily stress, and this was with apps to figure some info from people in front of me!
Lewis & Clark's expedition tends to get all of the attention, but there are two other interesting expeditions by Zebulon Pike which were also commissioned as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, starting from St Louis and going up the Mississippi River to it's source and up the Arkansas River to Pike's Peak. I would recommend reading the journals for those, also.
Also the journals of Alexander MacKenzie who crossed Canada to the Pacific before Lewis and Clarke.
I end my day watching this because of how relaxing it is and how enjoyable it is to learn about how people lived and survived in these times. Thank you for producing such excellent content.
Notebooks weren't the only thing Lewis and Clark left. There was also a ton of mercury pills they consumed and left as waste. You can track where they went by the mercury they left behind!
What were mercury pills used for
@@jessicacanfield5058 Laxatives
Right. I'll just get my mercury detector out and find their precise trail.
@@jessicacanfield5058 Treatment for syphilis
Mercury chloride (Calomel) was used as a treatment for sexually transmitted diseases or any serious skin rash. Medical science was still pretty primitive.
Some of the history that I never learned from a website talking about food. Excellent!
I'm in the middle of reading Lord Dunsany's "A Story of Land and Sea" and at least part of the story revolves around getting provisions while in the Sahara Desert. So often things like this are taken completely for granted, both in fiction and historical accounts, that of course a large troop is provisioned. Exactly how that happens is almost always left out. The only time it ever really gets mentioned is when the provisions run out. Always good to hear accounts of how it was actually done. It may not be the most exciting part of the journey, but it is a very useful and insightful bit to learn about even so.
The Lewis and Clark/Corps of Discovery expedition was the greatest American adventure of all time. To me it even surpasses going to the moon. May I suggest reading Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. A wonderful book.
It absolutely surpasses going to some lifeless rock in outer space. That expedition was revolutionary in its own right. It's amazing to me that it wasn't a big deal back then.
@@gamermanzeake It's a cool tale and a great lens into American history. It was a failed expedition though lol. That's why it wasn't big deal to them. Plenty of people made this cross-country trek, just not as part of a military expedition. No need to shit on the unbelievably amazing achievement for humanity that was going to Luna. Landing on the Moon was the greatest *human* adventure of all time and is responsible for advancing so many fields of science and human understanding it is honestly wild seeing people talk about it like it's no different than taking your car to an abandoned construction lot.
Giggling at the intro. -minamalist road trip camper hiker here. Yep. The food situation is always questionable. Nothing is more comforting than a warm nutritious meal after a long stretch of figuring out unfamiliar territory and even enduring uncomfortable conditions. I bring along instant soup also!
Hey, i live in the clarkston-lewiston valley!! Our winters are a LOT better than anywhere outside the valley depression
I love these series on different types of food different type of people ate.
Greetings from Canuckia! I was fascinated as a kid with the stories and history of the First Nations and les Voyageurs - surviving off the land, travelling by canoe, trying not to die! If it wasn't for the indigenous (Algonquin, Mohawk, so many more) the early explorers would have been bear food for sure.
Lovely vid townsends always happy to see another upload from ya, merci
I love the story about them surviving on paw paw's. I planted a couple trees on my land. Got four fruit this year, very delicious!
How do those things taste?
@@ahvideplaneet it's just my opinion, but to me they are the best tasting of all fruits. You'll find descriptions comparing them to mixes of different fruits, but non of those really describe them very well. "Tropical-tasting" is probably the most appropriate description I've seen.
@@ahvideplaneet smell wonderful and tropical. Taste like a combination of mango, banana and pineapple. The flesh has soft consistency similar to custard.
And here’s to Sacagawea who was instrumental to the expedition, traveled pregnant, gave birth on the journey and saved the records and journals when the canoe capsized. 👍👍
Absolutely one of my favorite channels. I'm so glad you all are still putting out fantastic content.
Growing up in oregon and going through boyscouts, lewis and clarks expedition has been something ive been exposed to and taught about since childhood.
Really enjoyed that! Thanks for all the research and sharing it with us!
Always love the dives into history with this channel. Couldn't be bothered with it in school but this information gets presented so well.
Would be cool if mr. Townsends makes a video about a The Poor Bandits feast
Stolen stuff and garbage I assume
Actually the "Poor Bandit's Feast" is the same as the "Poor Explorer's Feast" but the ingredients are better and the seasoning is more flavorful.
What about the poor monk’s feast?
Thank you SO much for finally getting to this expedition. Ha ing grown up very near to the expeditions wintering camp, all the places of my childhood were named by this trip. It still is my primary time frame for reenactment and research.
The "Feast" videos are probably my favourite on this amazing channel! I love how they present the food, but also provide the historical context - with primary sources - that they are drawing from. Excellent stuff.
Awesome. Been waiting for something like this! The frontier explorer is my favorite thing to read and learn about
Great video! I often think if I could have survived an expedition like this. Sadly, I don't think so. These were very tough individuals and deserve the utmost respect. Wish they still taught this in schools.
Always enjoy watching your videos sir, takes us back to a more simpler time
I am continually amazed at the Corp of Discovery. Such an incredible feat! I love hearing about them. Thanks for this!
Thank you so much for this excellently done, informative video! It’s really intriguing!
Video & its research is well done! Thank you for all your hard work.
This shows smart Jefferson was about judging peoples character. Of all the Americans alive at the time...some very rich and influential, he chose Lewis to get it done...and he did.
A+ all the way around with this beautiful story!
These are the videos I've been asking you to make more of!👍
I adore listening to this channel when I work my forge in the evenings. American history is so rich with stories of adaptable, adventurous, and bold people.
Dried peas and beans in old time naval stores was high on the manifest list. Today, they are rarely served. At first peas and beans would seem to be a bad choice because we think that they need to be hand shelled. That is not true when dried. The shills pop open when struck so they could harvest them in mass using some kind of flailing method common during those ages. And the removed peas and beans could be cleaned using methods common then. The dried peas and beans then could be packaged and stored for several years.
Not to doxx myself but my city is very very influenced by these men love seeing these videos on lewis& clark
Ha! You fool! Now I have your name, address and a compromising photograph! Deliver to me a thousand Spanish dollars by sundown or you will be ruined!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Thx for doing this, filming it and sharing it with us. 👍👍👍👍👍
Always enjoy these types of video. Taking a look at the stories of the past. Wish more channels would take a look back at history
It is very fascinating how the early explorers, traders and trappers lived in early North America. I saw a documentary on the early explorer and map maker, David Thompson and his Metis wife, Charlotte Small. It was very interesting. He surveyed and mapped out a good part of what's now present day Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. If I recall correctly, Lewis and Clark also used his maps. The rivers were the main source of getting around back then. These explorers, trappers and traders could go a long way on these waterways, from the area that's in present day Alberta, to the Great Lakes, on these waterways. In Alberta, and the neighboring state of Montana, there is a river that leads to other rivers, and waterways, that eventually leads up to the Gulf Of Mexico. Cheers!
Thank you for the historical journey!
Dr Rush's Thunderbolt pills kept everyone healthy. I think it's interesting that they can find where the expedition camped by the levels of mercury in the soil. I believe their meat consumption was large not only because it was the majority of their diet, but the wasted more than we do today. It's not like they could grind the lesser quality cuts to make ground meat or sausage. Nor did they have the ability to store it other than drying. So it was eat it today and hope you get more tomorrow.
Wow thankyou what a presentation!!
Thank you for your videos!
I love the Feast series. It's just the relaxing content I need after a tiring day and a break from present day modern life and media. Thanks for all you do, Townsends.
Thanks for the awesome content and great videos!!!!
Once again, a great video!
Your vids are incredible man, very informative and calming to me. Keep it up!
This guy is an absolute gem. One of the very best youtube channels.
I'm so happy to see you are doing well. Thank you so much for all your hard work and awesome videos
I love your videos! Please keep making them. ❤️
Despite all the great great foods around me in my home and local shops, something about you saying “ships biscuits soaked in beef broth” makes them all seem to fall short of that simple image in my mind.
Another outstanding video.
Townsend and I have much in common:
* left handed
* love the outdoors
* love the study of history (esp American history ~ read so many books on the subject I could easily qualify for a BA and possibly an MA on it)
* love to cook
* love to eat
Keep up the good work!
Excellent! Thank you.
Can watch this channel the entire day, if I had the luxury to do so. One my top CZcams channels. Simply have never tire of it, since coming across it a few years ago. The 18th and 19th Centuries are my favorite chapters in American history. This channel is so well organized, with a TERRIFIC presentation. Not to mention host. Thanks so much, Townsend & Son, and the entire production crew and researchers. Peace
All looks appealing ❤ thanks Townsends
10:54 American biologist here. I can tell you there are a shitload of species with the specific epithet _clarkii_ and _lewisii_ and I have to assume most of those are named after first collections made on that expedition.
The key to the success of any expedition like this was to stock enough whiskey so that the crew were well beyond the point of no return before they ran out.
Love this series!
I just love this history channel. For me it should be played on the TV ❤
Wonderful tale.
Thanks for sharing, have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year's
I love your videos they always help me feel connected to the past
thank you as always!
Awesome video thanks
12.20.2023
Thank you very much for all of your in-depth, hard work searching out the plans & hardships, etc of the Lewis & Clark expeditions. Extremely interesting. You make History very exciting & interesting. 👊
i love this channel. great content
I tried following your cooking lesson and I really liked it.
Expected old times cooking, got old times cooking and absolutely fascinating history lesson. If only history classes looked like this when I was still at school.
Simply amazing
This kind of story always gives me goosebumps, and is what makes me love history so much. The epic story of humanity going into the unknown and risking it all to find something new. And because of stories like this it just makes sense for us to go to space.
Well watch out Mars you're next ;)
I love seeing the foods they ate brought to life, so much meat! I have cooked historical receipts for over 30 years. I’ve even gotten to cook beaver tail. 10 people tried it and we had 10 opinions!
I live in Vancouver, WA and volunteer at Fort Vancouver NHS. Lewis and Clark camped where the fort was built in 1824, which was the arrival of the white man in this area. Their journals are boring, but so informative. Thank you Jon.
I absolutely love your stuff! Finally subscribed. ❤
ASTOUNDING how difficult our ancestors had things in life.
I don’t know anything about things you post but I love watching your videos and learning stuff. Reminds me of stuff I watch on the H channel.
Great stuff!
Excellent video on the versatile utility and pioneering Spirit of the early Americans.
Thank You ...
Thank you, Jon For Another Amazing Video. BZ
that's really awesome time travel experience ❤