| Polish Immigrant Essay, Research Paper
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?Many people have tried to do what Meriwether Lewis has done, but have failed.? Lewis
was born Augest 18, 1774.? His family had a history of Hipochondria (depression).? As a boy his
father died and he inherited a 2,000 acre plantation, 520 pounds in cash, 24 slaves, and 147
gallons of whiskey.? By the time he became a teenager Lewis had become an alcoholic.? As he
became older he joined the army and helped put down the whiskey rebelloin.? The whiskey
rebellion started because the govornment put a tax on whiskey, and many of the frontiersman
couldnt pay it.
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On Febuary 23, 1801 Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to be his secretary.? The
job paid $500 a year. This was much less than he made at the plantation but he still accepted.? As
Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis became friends Thomas Jefferson taught Meriwether
Lewis to read.? Thomas Jefferson wanted to explore America so he asked Lewis to lead an
expidition to the Pacific coast and back.? He agreed but he knew it would be long and hard and
that they would need many supplies.? Meriwether bought 15 Pennsylvania Rifles, colapsable
boat, tackle, lead, ink powder, 30 steels, mosquito netting, and oilskin bags.? He also bought
many presents for the Indians: 5 pounds white glass beads, 20 pounds red assorted beads, 144
scissors, 288 brass thimbles, many blue beads, silk, paint, vermilion, and 288 knives.
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On July 5, 1803 Lewis set out for Pittsburgh.? Upon arriving at Pittsburgh they discover
the colapsable boat is not even close to being done.? So they cant leave for the Pacific coast yet.
On August 31, 7:00 A.M. the last nail was driven into the boat.? But by that time the river was at
a record low.? On September 1st they left Pittsburgh and went Down the Ohio river.? In some
places the river was only 6 inches deep.? There were a lot of mosquitoes and fog on the way
down the river.? In late October George Rogers Clark Accepted his invitation to go along on the
expidition.? The voyage picked him up at Clarksville.
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On November 13 the expidition set out for fort Mastic, on the Mississippi river.? From
November 20, 1803-March 1804 the expidition stayed the winter in St. Louis.? There they bought
corn, flour, biscuits, salt, pork, lard, and Indian goods from local traders.? On May 2nd they
started their way up the Missouri.? At the end of July they had made it 640 miles up the river.
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The expidition Met their first Indians, the Ottoes, on August 2.? Soon after their
confrontation they held a council on Council Bluff.? The expidition continued on its way and
soon met the Sioux.? A disagreement came about between the two parties because the Sioux
wanted a canoe load of gifts.? This almost started a fight but the Sioux finally let the expidition
continue.
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The Arikaras met the expidition on October 18.? The expidition was very generous to the
Arikaras with gifts.? Here Fort Mandan was built so the expidition could stay the winter.? The
blacksmiths proved to be very valuable because they made battle axes and sold them to the
Indians for corn.? During the stay at Fort Mandan the expidition would be there from Dec 21,
1804-April 7, 1805.? On April 7 the expidition continued their journey on the Missouri.
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The expidition came to the junction of the Marias and the Missouri river on June 3.? The
captains were not sure which river was the Missouri.? The party split up and explored a part of
each river.? On June 16 they met back at the junction. They decided the south fork was the
Missouri.? They started to build the colapsable boat but they didnt have any pitch, so they made
a sealant out of beeswax and charcoal.? When they put it in the water it leaked so badly they
decided not to use it.? Instead they made some canoes out of cottonwood trees.? They started up
the Missouri again on June 16.
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?????????? They made it to the three forks of the Missouri on July 27.? At that time Clark had been
leading some men up ahead of the rest of the party.? Clark decided to go up the left fork, but not
before leaving Lewis a message to go up the right fork.? Before Lewis got a chance to go up the
right fork Clark had come back down the river and met Lewis because he had become ill.? As
soon as Clark became well enough Lewis went up the Jefferson River and Clark went up the
Wisdom river.? They met back at the forks after 2 days.? Private Shannon had been sent up the
Wisdom river to hunt but had not returned.? The whole party went up the river to find him.? On
August 9 Shannon was found.? They saw an Indian on August 11 but he ran away.? On August 13
they met 2 Indian woman and an Indian man from a tribe of Shoshones.? They met the chief and
became friends.? Sacagaweans, the interpreter, family was part of the Indian tribe.? This is
probably the reason the Indians decided to guide the Americans over the Rocky Mountains.
Many horses were purchased from the Shoshonas.
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?????????? When the expidition got over the Rocky Mountains they met the Nez Pierce on September
10, 1805.? Their chief, Twisted Hair, sold roots to the expidition.? The expidition Started
descending down the Columbia River October 7.? On the way down they met the Chinooks and
found out they were thieves.? When they got to the coast they met the Clatsop Indians and traded
with them.? Here they built Fort Clatsop.? On march 23 the expidition left Fort Clatsop and
started back up the Columbia River.? On the way home they met the Nez Pierce again at the end
of April.? They crossed the Lolo Trail From June 10, 1806-July 2, 1806.? The captains decided to
explore the Marias from July 3-July 28.? During the exploration of the Marias their was a conflict
between the Blackfeet and the party and a few indians died.? On September 23 the party finally
made it back to the president.? And that concludes my book report on the book Undaunted
Courage.
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