Sacagawea (1788–1812) was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who, in her teens, helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition in achieving their chartered mission objectives by exploring the Louisiana Territory.
Sacagawea is frequently depicted as the guide and interpreter of the Louis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806) but was actually essential to the success of the mission. Her presence among the all-male party allayed the fears of the peoples they encountered because a war party would not have traveled with a woman, but just as significantly, she saved the journals of Lewis & Clark when the boat they were in capsized on the Missouri River, negotiated for horses with the Shoshone, and provided medical care.
She was born a citizen of the Shoshone nation but was kidnapped at around the age of 12 by the Hidatsa and was married against her will to the French explorer and fur merchant Toussaint Charbonneau when she was 13. Charbonneau had himself and his wife hired as guides by Lewis & Clark, and even though she had no choice in the matter, she devoted herself to serving the expedition's goal completely. According to traditional history, she died of an unknown disease around the age of 24 in 1812, but oral tradition maintains she lived longer, returning to her people and dying in 1884.
womenfromhistory_bot ~ The history of Native American women, Sacagawea ~
Show moreSacagawea (1788–1812) was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who, in her teens, helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition in achieving their chartered mission objectives by exploring the Louisiana Territory.
Sacagawea is frequently depicted as the guide and interpreter of the Louis & Clark Expedition (1804-1806) but was actually essential to the success of the mission. Her presence among the all-male party allayed the fears of the peoples they encountered because a war party would not have traveled with a woman, but just as significantly, she saved the journals of Lewis & Clark when the boat they were in capsized on the Missouri River, negotiated for horses with the Shoshone, and provided medical care.
She was born a citizen of the Shoshone nation but was kidnapped at around the age of 12 by the Hidatsa and was married against her will to the French explorer and fur merchant Toussaint Charbonneau when she was 13. Charbonneau had himself and his wife hired as guides by Lewis & Clark, and even though she had no choice in the matter, she devoted herself to serving the expedition's goal completely. According to traditional history, she died of an unknown disease around the age of 24 in 1812, but oral tradition maintains she lived longer, returning to her people and dying in 1884.
Painting : Portrait of Sacagawea
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