Sacagawea

Between 1804 and 1806, perhaps the most famous expedition in the history of the United States took place: The Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson had bought around 825,000 square miles of land from France. This event was called "the Louisiana Purchase". Led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, the purpose of the Lewis and Clark Expedition was to explore the new lands. The team for this mission consisted almost entirely of men, except for one woman: Sacagawea, who would later become one of the most famous women in American history for all her contributions to this expedition, despite being only sixteen years old at the time.

Sacagawea was a Native American woman from the Shoshone tribe. Her date of birth is still unknown but some sources estimate it to be around 1788. When she was twelve years old, she was kidnapped by an enemy tribe- the Hidatsa tribe. And only at sixteen, Sacagawea was sold to a French-Canadian trapper and merchant named Toussaint Charbonneau, who was thirty years older than Sacagawea and already had other wives. In 1804, Charbonneau was hired as a guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. But the expedition would require the team to pass through some Native American tribes' territories and to ask the tribes for horses. To be able to do that, they needed someone who knew the language of the tribes so they could communicate with them. So, Charbonneau and the rest of the team agreed to take Sacagawea, who was pregnant at the time, with them as an interpreter. On February 11, 1805, after a labor which Meriwether Lewis described as "tedious and the pain violent", she gave birth to her son and named him "Jean Baptiste". And only about a month later, on April 7, the expedition team started their journey, with Sacagawea carrying her newborn son on her back!

Sacagawea played a vital role on multiple occasions during the expedition. Her being a Native American woman with a newborn son was like a token of peace solely on its own, since the other tribes didn't think any war party would carry a woman and an infant with them. So, Sacagawea being on the expedition team prevented any possible conflicts with the tribes. Of course, there was also her role as interpreter, which was crucial in communicating with the tribes. Thanks to Sacagawea, the team was able to procure horses from the tribes and was granted safe passage. Also, because of Sacagawea's knowledge and skill as a gatherer, the travelers were able to find edible food during their journey.

Perhaps the best example showcasing Sacagawea's contribution and commitment to the Lewis and Clark Expedition was the incident of the capsized boat. One day, when they were traveling on the Missouri River, the expedition team's pirogue (a small type of boat) capsized. But in the pirogue, there were also various materials containing vital data about the expedition and other supplies. While the rest of the crew was trying to turn the pirogue back over, Sacagawea, with her baby son tied to her back, saved these materials and supplies on her own. All the information about the Lewis and Clark Expedition that we have today is thanks to her courage and quick-thinking skills.

All these incidents helped her gain great respect from the members of the team, who had initially been prejudiced against her since she was both a woman and a Native American. The leaders of the expedition, Lewis and Clark, even started asking for her opinion on different matters.

On the journey back home, Sacagawea proved herself one last time. The expedition team had taken a different, foreign route on the way back. It was Sacagawea who had advised taking this route as she thought it was the best option. It was thanks to Sacagawea that they were able to find their way. While they were on the Beaverhead River, Sacagawea recognized the "Beaverhead Rock", which was a hill not far from her homeland. She guided the team to the Shoshone village, where she reunited with her relatives, and the team was able to acquire horses for the road on land. As praise for her guidance, Clark called Sacagawea his "pilot". While on their route, Clark also gave "Pompey's Pillar" on the Yellowstone its name after the nickname he had given Sacagawea's son Jean Baptiste, which was "Pomp".

After, Sacagawea parted ways with the rest of the team and returned to Bismarck, North Dakota with her husband and son. Aside from the payment he received for his services, Toussaint Charbonneau was also hired as an interpreter by Clark as a thank-you for their contributions to the expedition. In 1809, after baptizing their son, Sacagawea and Charbonneau left Jean Baptiste to Clark's care, who had earlier offered to provide him with education. In 1812, Sacagawea gave birth to a daughter, Lisette. Soon after Lisette's birth, the records show the death of a woman who was only identified as "Charbonneau's wife". Some believe the woman in question was Sacagawea. Clark had also included Sacagawea in a list he had made in the 1820s as one of the deceased people. He also became Jean Baptiste and Lisette's legal guardian. But others believe that the woman who had died was another one of Charbonneau's wives and that Sacagawea had returned to her Shoshone tribe. They claim she died on Wyoming's Wind River Reservation on April 9, 1884. But this record could also be of another Shoshone woman similar to Sacagawea. Either way, there is no definite information about Sacagawea's death.

Sacagawea was one of the countless women who helped shape history with her bravery and strength. She became the woman with the most statues dedicated to her in the USA, and in 2000, a dollar coin was issued in her honor with Sacagawea and her son on it. Aside from these, it is our responsibility to learn about women like her and spread their stories to make sure they live on in these stories and gain the recognition they deserve.