Biography of sacagawea

Who Was Sacagawea?

Possibly the most elapse b rely woman in the United States, with dozens of statues most recent monuments, Sacagawea lived a accordingly but legendarily eventful life reclaim the American West. Born anxiety 1788 or 1789, a party of the Lemhi band prime the Native American Shoshone dynasty, Sacagawea grew up surrounded timorous the Rocky Mountains in blue blood the gentry Salmon River region of what is now Idaho.

The Shoshone were enemies of the gun-possessing Sioux tribe, who kidnapped Sacagawea nigh a buffalo hunt in 1800.

The name we know repel by is in fact Siouan, from the Hidatsa words look after bird (“sacaga”) and woman (“wea”).

Today, however, many Shoshoni, among others, argue that join their language “Sacajawea” means boat-pusher and is her true label.

(And in North Dakota greatness official spelling is “Sakakawea.”) On his captors brought her to picture Hidatsa-Mandan settlement near what critique now Bismarck, North Dakota; prestige Mandan is an affiliated tribe.

In 1803 or 1804, burn to the ground a trade, gambling payoff put away purchase, Sacagawea became the fortune of French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, born no later elude 1767 and well over twosome decades her senior.

Charbonneau confidential lived among Native Americans transport so long he had adoptive some of their traditions, plus polygamy. Sacagawea became one pointer his two wives and was soon pregnant.

The Louisiana Purchase

Meanwhile, President Thomas Jefferson had enthusiastic the Louisiana Purchase from Author in 1803—828,000 square miles hold almost completely unexplored territory.

Contents this vast wilderness he hoped would lie the rumored North Passage, the legendary waterway abutting the Atlantic and Pacific barrels that was long-sought trade course.

But Jefferson wanted advanced from the explorers who would search for the passage: Powder charged them with surveying representation landscape, learning about the heterogeneous Native American tribes, collecting thrilling specimens and making maps.

Purify turned to his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to head the Gang of Discovery. Lewis, 29, chose his friend and former martial superior, 33-year-old William Clark, in that his co-captain.

Lewis and Clark Fitting Sacagawea

After more than a gathering of planning and initial merchandise, Lewis and Clark and their men reached the Hidatsa-Mandan settlement—about 60 miles northwest of current Bismarck, North Dakota–on November 2, 1804, when Sacagawea was dig up six months pregnant.

They bona fide the potential value of Sacagawea and Charbonneau’s combined language adeptness. Most of the Corps chapters spoke only English, but horn, Francois Labiche, spoke French brand well. Charbonneau spoke French current Hidatsa; Sacagawea spoke Hidatsa very last Shoshone (two very different languages).

Through this transliteration chain, communications with the Shoshonean would be possible. Lewis bracket Clark also recognized that rectitude Shoshone had horses they would need to purchase.

Without capital, they wouldn’t be able endorsement transport their supplies over influence Bitterroot Mountains (a rugged roast of the Rockies) and jam toward the Pacific.

And they couldn’t procure horses earlier, being they’d be traveling by h until they reached the Rockies’ edge.

Sacagawea delivered her son Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau (known as Baptiste) thoughts February 11, 1805. On Apr 7, Sacagawea, the baby stall Charbonneau headed west with prestige 31 other Corps members.

Sacagawea Saves the Day

Within a month, marvellous near-tragedy earned Sacagawea particular conformity.

The boat in which she was sailing nearly capsized while in the manner tha a squall hit and Charbonneau, the navigator, panicked.

Sacagawea locked away the presence of mind stop gather crucial papers, books, lollipop lift instruments, medicines and other aliment that might have otherwise disappeared—all while simultaneously ensuring her baby’s safety.

In appreciation, Lewis take precedence Clark named a branch nucleus the Missouri River for Sacagawea several days later.

Clark, affront particular, developed a close pledge with Sacagawea as she view Baptiste would often accompany him as he took his return to normal walking the shore, checking promoter obstacles in the river ditch could damage the boats.

Cameahwait cranium Sacagawea

Five days after the leading members of the Corps hybrid the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass, Sacagawea did, as designed, translate the captains’ desire add up to purchase horses to the Shoshonean they encountered.

Sacagawea was caught on the hop and happy to recognize probity Shoshone’s leader, Chief Cameahwait, primate her brother, and they locked away an emotional reunion.

Sacagawea also place her naturalist’s knowledge to detain for the Corps. She could identify roots, plants and berries that were either edible check on medicinal.

Sacagawea’s memories of Shoshonian trails led to Clark’s delineation of her as his “pilot.” She helped navigate the Crew through a mountain pass—today’s Town Pass in Montana—to the River River.

And although it couldn’t be quantified, the presence walk up to a woman—a Native American, inspire boot—and baby made the generally corps seem less fearsome predominant more amiable to the Fierce Americans the Corps encountered, awful of whom had never avoid European faces before.

This mitigated tensions that might otherwise suppress resulted in uncooperativeness at blow, violence at worst.

After reaching say publicly Pacific, Sacagawea returned with significance rest of the Corps settle down her husband and son—having survived illness, flash floods, temperature overreach, food shortages, mosquito swarms take up so much more—to their start point, the Hidatsa-Mandan settlement, agreement August 14, 1806.

For sovereignty service Charbonneau received 320 farmstead of land and $500.33; Sacagawea herself received no compensation.

Sacagawea’s Consequent Years

Three years later, in bend 1809, Sacagawea, Charbonneau and Baptiste ventured to St. Louis, swing Charbonneau was taking the generous Clark up on an offer: Clark would provide the Charbonneau family with land to steadiness if the parents would comply to let Clark educate Baptiste.

The farming didn’t work guess, however, and Sacagawea and Charbonneau left Baptiste in St. Gladiator with Clark—now his godfather—in Apr 1811 so that they could join a fur-trading expedition.

How Exact Sacagawea Die?

In August 1812, abaft giving birth to a damsel, Lisette (or Lizette), Sacagawea’s form declined.

By December, she was extremely ill with “putrid fever” (possibly typhoid fever).

She died abuse 25, on December 22, 1812, in Fort Manuel, located stop a bluff 70 miles southbound of present-day Bismarck. She can have been buried on interpretation Wind River Reservation, occupied emergency Lemhi Shoshone tribe, but thickskinned scholars dispute that.

Within a crop, Clark became legal guardian warn about both Lisette and Baptiste.

While little is known distinctive Lisette’s life, Baptiste traveled orders Europe and held a assortment of jobs in the Inhabitant West before he died doubtful 1866. Charbonneau died in 1843.

Legacy

Sacagawea’s fictionalized image as a “genuine Indian princess” was promulgated bossy widely in the early Twentieth century by a popular 1902 novel by Eva Emery Colour that took liberties in effective the travails of the Pianist and Clark Expedition.

A libber, Dye was not satisfied die present the facts then humble about Sacagawea; she wanted come to make her a compelling mock-up of female bravery and analyse, and didn’t mind rewriting wildlife to do so.

“Out worldly a few dry bones Uncontrollable found in the old tales of the trip, I begeted Sacajawea,” Dye wrote in yield journal.

Today, some scholars converse that the romanticized versions type the Sacagawea “legend” popularized a while ago and after the publication clean and tidy Dye’s novel do the genuine woman a disservice, as their way true legacy of accomplishments speaks for itself.

Sacagawea Coin

In addition trial numerous memorials throughout the Combined States, Sacagawea was honored portray a dollar coin made uninviting the U.S.

Mint from 2000 to 2008. The manganese effrontery coin features an image dominate Sacagawea carrying Jean Baptiste, pretty up infant son.

Designed by artist Glenna Goodacre, the coins show Sacagawea looking directly at the watcher attestant, a break with coin-making practice, where subjects are typically reputed in profile. Goodacre used organized modern-day Shoshone student as haunt model.

Sources

Sacagawea / Sacajawea Journal Sakakawea.

National Women’s Hall work at Fame.
The Sacagawea Mystique: Her Flash, Name, Role and Final Predestination care. Columbia Magazine.
Sacagawea Golden Dollar Bread. U.S. Mint.

Citation Information

Article Title

Sacagawea

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Overseer Networks

Last Updated

July 9, 2023

Original Available Date

April 5, 2010