4. Lewis and Clark

Today's lesson will find us examining the Louisiana Purchase. Our goals are to understand how the Louisiana Territory came to be part of the United States, how it affects us, and who these two cats are that were sent to explore it.

Read through this intro and answer the question at the bottom in groups. Be ready to share your information.

Part 1: Prezi  You don't have to take notes, but it might be worth your time. I have linked the Prezi above, so you'll have access to that any time you wish and I have the presentation below to go along with it.

Answer these questions about Lewis and Clark from the video. Be ready to answer them as a class and hold on to them as we'll use this information to help you in a later activity.

1. What made the Louisiana Purchase a great deal for the United States?

2. Why were Lewis and Clark great for exploring?

3. What kind of information did Lewis and Clark bring back with them?

4. How did Sacajewea help out the expedition? Could they have made it without her?

Part 2:  Let's examine what these two dudes were saying about the trip. They left fairly complete journals, so now we will examine first hand sources to extract information.

Below, I have pasted excerpts from their journals. Read through each excerpt in pairs and answer the questions at the bottom.

Clark 8-20-1804

Sergeant Floyd much weaker and no better. . . . Serjeant Floyd as bad as he can be no pulse & nothing will Stay a moment on his Stomach or bowels-

Passed two Islands on the S. S. [starboard side] and at first Bluff on the S S. Serj.' Floyd Died with a great deel of Composure, before his death he Said to me, "I am going away" ["]I want you to write me a letter" - We buried him on the top of the bluff ½ Miles below a Small river to which we Gave his name, he was buried with the Honors of War much lamented; a Seeder post with the (1) Name Sergt. C. Floyd died here 20th of August 1804 was fixed at the head of his grave - This Man at all times gave us proofs of his firmness and Deturmined resolution to doe Service to his Countrey and honor to himself after paying all the honor to our Decesed brother we Camped in the mouth of floyds river about 30 yards wide, a butifull evening. - (14)

Clark-2-11-05

11th February Monday 1805. The party that were ordered last evening set out early this morning. the weather was fair and could wind N. W. about five oclock this evening Sacajewea was delivered of a fine boy. it is worthy of remark that this was the first child which this woman had boarn and as is common in such cases her labour was tedious and the pain violent; Mr. Jessome informed me that he had freequently adminstered a small portion of the rattle of the rattle-snake, which he assured me had never failed to produce the desired effect, that of hastening the birth of the child; having the rattle of a snake by me I gave it to him and he administered two rings of it to the woman broken in small pieces with the fingers and added to a small quantity of water. Whether this medicine was truly the cause or not I shall not undertake to determine, but I was informed that she had not taken it more than ten minutes before she brought forth perhaps this remedy may be worthy of future experiments, but I must confess that I want faith as to it's efficacy.-

In the first passage, what are they describing?  What were his last words?

In the second passage, what momentous event occurred?  What "medical device" was used to speed up the event?

Part III

Look at the PDF below and complete the timeline.