Sacagawea, a national treasure and a hero

There is a quote by Andrea Randall that articulates that, “ not all heroes wear capes.” Public figures, now what are public figures? Public figures are usually respected and admirable people who have certain social positions that people think highly of. Public figures have influence and they are basically influencers and guide us as the people. What people have a larger amount of influence other than Public figures? Heroes and heroes are impressively respected all around. Sacagawea is a known hero and a national treasure if you will. Sacagawea is a national treasure to people of all ages, especially to the Americans. Sacagawea is an accomplished woman. Sacagawea had been playing an important part in the Louis and Clark Expedition. This research paper will flesh out and show what is Sacagawea as a whole, how Sacagawea has contributed to help in the Louis and Clark expedition, what is the Lewis and Clark Expedition even is, and what was Sacagawea’s origins, and what happened to her after that significant and revolutionary expedition.

Sacagawea has a very mysterious past. Most people are trying to speculate and guess when she was even born. Some historians and annalist say that “ Sacagawea was born in 1788”, other historians and annalist say that “ Sacagawea was in 1789”. However, we, the people, do know where she was born. Sacagawea was born in Lemhi County, Idaho, United States and she grew up and was raised in Lemhi County, Idaho. Sacagawea was in an enormous gargantuan region covered by elevated rocky mountains and large rivers. Sacagawea is a Shoshone woman and the Shoshones hated their rival tribe known as the Hidatsa. The Hidatsa wield guns like the rifle, unlike the Shoshones. These Hidatsa tribe kidnapped Sacagawea-that poor Shoshone woman- in 1800, Sacagawea had become the chief of the Shoshones and during a normal buffalo hunt that the Shoshones was taking part of, the Hidatsa abductors took her and brought her to the Hidatsa-Mandan settlement, which is now a region in North Dakota, specifically Bismarck.(and the Mandan is an associated tribe, a dear friend of the Hidatsa tribe, if you will). In 1803 or 1804, Sacagawea was traded to a guy named Toussaint Charbonneau and he is a French – Canadian fur trapper and he bought Sacagawea as if she was property. Anyway, he’s 20 years older than Sacagawea. The trapper has incorporated some Native American cultures in his life like polygamy and polygamy is the practice of marring many people at the same exact time. French-Canadian fur trapper was married to Sacagawea and another lady, and Sacagawea later became pregnant with his baby.

Before the Louis and Clark Expedition, The Louisiana Purchase was established and made by President Thomas Jefferson. The territory was approximately about 828, 000 square acres and the president bought that massive piece of land from the French in 1803. This uncharted territory was apparently the home of the Northwest Passage and it is the passage that bridges two specific oceans, known as the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Thomas Jefferson, the president, wanted explorers to check this unexplored land. He wanted them to see if the Northwest Passage actually there, he wanted these explorers to make maps, and he wanted them to see what native tribes lived in the president’s land. The president had appointed 29-year old, Meriwether Lewis as the head and the leader of The Corp Discovery, he also writes. Meriwether Lewis suggested that his great comrade 33 years old, William Clark can draw and create a map, therefore, should join the Expedition. The president agreed and made William Clark the co-captain of the expedition.

Lewis and Clark spent a year planning a preparatory for their Expedition. They wanted and needed an explorer, they found the Canadian explorer Toussaint Charbonneau. Charbonneau was married to Sacagawea and they lacked a person who knew the Shoshone language, so they invited Sacagawea to the Expedition. The Expedition of Lewis and Clark commenced on November 2, 1804. Sacagawea and her husband Charbonneau helped translate throughout the journey, Sacagawea knew the language Shoshone and Hidatsa, while her husband Charbonneau knew French and Hidatsa language. Without the help of the Sacagawea and her husband Charbonneau, they would be lost and would not be able to discover or continue their expedition.

When Sacagawea was about six months into the pregnancy they traveled an elongated journey, from The Hidatsa to The Mandan, it was about sixty miles. Sacagawea earnt respect when one month from starting their expedition. What had happened, the boat capsized and everyone valuables have fallen into the water. While everyone was in the middle of a panic Sacagawea was able to salvage and conserve paper, books, medicine, and some interments that helped them navigate. She accomplished and conserving valuables while managing saving her baby from drowning. Lewis and Clark branched her name in Missouri and Clark began having a close bond between Sacagawea. She has also helped them distinguish between edible and toxic fruits and berries, and can too specify if a plant could be used in a medical way. She was told that she was a ‘ pilot’ and without her, some States would not have been discovered earlier. All of the people who contributed in the Lewis and Clark expedition got rewarded and or paid or even both, that what happened to Charbonneau and the other soldiers, while Sacagawea did not get paid or rewarded in any way, shape, or form.

A woman by the name Eva Emery Dye is a writer and wanted to write about Sacagawea’s story and why she is a woman of accomplishment. The story is called “ The Conquest.” She got the story by trying to renew history, it took her some depth to find information, but now she everybody is learning her in school or at least heard the name ‘ Sacagawea”.