Sacagawea of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

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University of California Press, Sep 15, 1983 - Biography & Autobiography - 171 pages
The legend tells us of Sacagawea ("Bird Woman") as the guide showing Lewis and Clark the way over the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and fictionalized accounts have embroidered on her life as it might have been. In fact, however, her life as it might have been. In fact, however, the young Indian woman who accompanied the expedition did not serve as a guide—though her presence with her child probably ensured the expedition's safety by signifying to the tribes whose territories were crossed that it was not a raiding or war party.

This carefully researched historical account separates the verifiable facts about Sacagawea from the extensive legend. It provides a readable, credible account of Sacagawea coping with the incredible hazards of the journey, caring fo her child, dealing with her half-breed husband, and aiding the expedition with her survival knowledge, pluck, and constancy.

The authors have unearthed new documentary evidence which enables them to trace Sacagawea's later life until her death, and to locate her burial spot. They also tell how the Sacagawea legend was deliberately created, and show how it became so widely accepted. Nontheless, this is not a "debunking" study. Sacagawea, seen in the light of accurate history rather than legend, remains an intriguing and inspiring figure in our past.
 

Contents

Jeffersons Dream
8
Sacagawea Joins the Expedition
15
Sacagawea on the Jefferson River
22
Journey Over the Rockies
35
Winter at Fort Clatsop
50
Eastward Bound
60
The Explorers Separate
69
The Explorers Reunite and Return
79
Sacagawea a Controversial Figure
111
Sacagawea on the Wind River Reservation
123
The Aged Sacagawea
140
Appendix A Pronunciation of Indian Names
147
Indian Childrens Story
153
Notes and Additional Information
159
Index
167
Copyright

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