Lewis and Clark Expedition

8th Grade
Name:___________________

Date:________________

The following questions are based on the accompanying document (1-5). This assignment is
designed to test your skills working with primary and secondary sources. As you work with each
document answer the questions below. Also, consider the following: What perspective is the
document from? Whose perspective is being left out? Etc.
Directions:

Analyze Documents and answer all questions accompanying documents.

Use evidence to support your answer
Include related outside information
Write a coherent essay that addresses the topic. Essay should contain a topic sentence
with supporting details from the documents and the questions answered.

Historic Background:
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased territory from the France what we call the
Louisiana Purchase. Though the land now belonged to the United States, Americans had no
establishment and little to no knowledge of the new territory. Thomas Jefferson ordered an
expedition of the new land led by, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
Task:
Part A, read and analyze each document carefully and answer the question(s) at the end of each
document. When finished with Part A read the directions for Part B and continue with the DBQ.
Part B, use the documents and answers to the questions from Part A to write a coherent essay

Jeffersons Letter to Meriwether Lewis

To Meriwether Lewis esq. Capt. of the 1st regimt. of infantry of the U. S. of A.:
The commerce which may be carried on with the people inhabiting the line you will pursue, renders a
knowledge of those people important. You will therefore endeavor to make yourself acquainted, as far
as a diligent pursuit of your journey shall admit, with the names of the nations & their numbers; the
extent & limits of their possessions; their relations with other tribes of nations; their language,
traditions, monuments their ordinary occupations in agriculture, fishing, hunting, war, arts, & the
implements for these; their food, clothing, & domestic accommodations; the diseases prevalent among
them, & the remedies they use; moral & physical circumstances which distinguish them from the
tribes we know; peculiarities in their laws, customs & dispositions; and articles of commerce they may
need or furnish, & to what extent.
In all your intercourse with the natives, treat them in the most friendly & conciliatory manner
which their own conduct will admit; allay all jealousies as to the object of your journey, satisfy them of
its innocence, make them acquainted with the position, extent, character, peaceable & commercial
dispositions of the U.S. of our wish to be neighborly, friendly & useful to them, & of our dispositions to
a commercial intercourse with them; confer with them on the points most convenient as mutual
emporiums, and the articles of most desirable interchange for them & us. If a few of their influential
chiefs, within practicable distance, wish to visit us, arrange such a visit with them, and furnish them
with authority to call on our officers, on their entering the U.S to have them conveyed to this place at
the public expense
As it is impossible for us to foresee in what manner you will be received by those people, whether
with hospitality or hostility, so is it impossible to prescribe the exact degree of perseverance with which
you are to pursue your journey. We value too much the lives of citizens to offer them to probable
destruction. Your numbers will be sufficient to secure you against the unauthorized opposition of
individuals or of small parties: but if a superior force, authorized, or not authorized, by a nation,
should be arrayed against your further passage, and inflexibly determined to arrest it, you must
decline its further pursuit, and return. In the loss of yourselves, we should lose also the information
you will have acquired. By returning safely with that, you may enable us to renew the essay with better
calculated means.
Dispositions- a persons inherent qualities of mind and character
Conciliatory- intended or likely to placate or pacify
Allay- diminish or put at rest

1. From the document, what did Thomas Jefferson want Lewis and Clark to document?
Why might this be?

2. How did Thomas Jefferson want Lewis and Clark to treat the Native Americans in the
surrounding territory?

Jefferson Piece Medal given to the leaders of

Native American tribes.
3. According to the image what was the goal of the expedition?

4. Do you think that their goal could be achieved?

William Clark, September 25, 1804 (Meeting with Teton Sioux Tribe)
Met in council...Cap. Lewis proceeded to Deliver a Speech which we (were)
obliged to curtail for want of a good interpreter.... invited those Chiefs on board to show
them our boat...we gave them (the chiefs) _ a glass of whiskey... (they) soon began to be
troublesome...I went with those Chiefs in one of the pirogues...to shore...the 2nd Chief
was very insolent both in words and gestures...stating he had not received presents
sufficient from us...I felt myself compelled to draw my sword...I felt myself warm &
spoke in very positive
terms.... Most warriors appeared to have their Bows strung and took out their arrows
from the quiver... remaining in this situation some time, I offered my hand to the 1st &
2nd Chiefs who refused to receive it.
William Clark Tuesday October 2, 1804 (After leaving Sioux Tribe)
...(we) observe great caution this day expecting the Seaux (Sioux) intentions (to
be) somewhat hostile towards our progression.
5.

Pirogues- a long narrow canoe mad from a single tree trunk

According to the document, how did the Tenton Sioux tribe react to Clark and the corps of
discovery?

6. Citing textual evidence did Clark and the Corps show respect to the Sioux tribe?

7.

Meriwether Lewis, Sunday, August 18, 1805 (On first trade with Shoshone)
This morning while Capt Clark was busily engaged in preparing for his rout, I exposed
some articles to barter with the Indians for horses as I wished a few at this moment to
relieve the men who were going with Capt Clark from the labour of carrying their
baggage and one to keep here in order to pack the meat to camp which the hunters
might kill. I soon obtained three very good horses for which I gave a uniform coat, a
pair of legings, a few handkerchiefs, three knives and some other small articles the
whole of which did not cost more than about 20$ in the U' States. the Indians seemed
quite as well pleased with their bargin as I was. the men also purchased one for an old
checked shirt a pair of old legings and a knife
..Two of the inferior chiefs were a little displeased at not having received a present
equivalent to that given the first Chief. to relieve this difficulty Capt. Clark bestowed a
couple of his old coats on them and I promised that if they were active in assisting me
over the mountains with horses that I would give them an additional present; this
seemed perfectly to satisfy them and they all set out in a good humour.
Inferior- lower in rank, status or quality
Bestowed- Present (an honor, right, or gift)

According to the document, how did Shoshone tribe react to Lewis and the corps of
discovery?

8. Did Lewis show respect to the Shoshone tribe? Provide reasoning from the text.

Meriwether Lewis, Thursday, February 20, 1806 (Meeting with Chinnok Tribe)
This forenoon we were visited by Ta-cum, a principal chief of the Chinnoks and 25
men of his nation...he came on a friendly visit. We gave himself and party something to
eat and supplied them plentifully with smoke. We gave this chief a small medal with
which he seemed much gratified. In the evening at sunset we desired them to depart as
is our custom and closed our gates. We never suffer parties of such numbers to remain
within the fort all night; for notwithstanding their apparent friendly disposition,
their...hope of plunder might induce them to be treacherous. At all events we determined
always to be on our guard.

Forenoon- the morning

9. According to the document how did Chinnok Tribe react to Lewis and the Corps?

10. Citing textual evidence, did Lewis and the Corps treat the Chinnok with respect?

Part B:
Directions: Using the documents and the answers to the questions in Part A write a coherent
essay about the interaction between The Corps of Discovery and the Native Americans. Did they
Corps accomplish Thomas Jeffersons goal? Were their interactions negative or positive? Did
their perceptions about the Native Americans change?
The following essay should contain the following:

Introduction, body, and conclusion

Details, examples, and explanations to support reasoning
Use Information from at least 3 sources from above

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