What makes sacagawea famous

Lewis and Clark and their team traveled by foot, horseback, and by boat through the territory, exploring the plants, animal species and geography. While there is no definitive record of how many miles total were traveled, it is estimated to be approximately 7, miles about 12, kilometers. Not much historical data exists about Sacagawea's early life. Most historians agree she was born around the year in Lemhi Valley, the eastern part of what is now the state of Idaho.

For the next two years, she accompanied them with her young son before returning to North Dakota in After the expedition, Sacagawea and Charbonneau spent three years living among the Hidatsa in North Dakota and then accepted Clark's invitation to move where he lived in St. Louis, Missouri. In , Sacagawea gave birth to a daughter. Historical documents suggest that Sacagawea died just two years later of an unknown sickness.

Clark legally adopted her two children in So why is Sacagawea an important American to know? Her presence as a woman helped dispel notions to the Native tribes that they were coming to conquer and confirmed the peacefulness of their mission. Her ability to speak the Native American languages helped greatly and her knowledge of the landscape proved invaluable.

Sacagawea was and still is seen as a feminist figure, particularly in the Women's Rights and Suffrage Movements. Today, Sacagawea is a symbol of women's independence and importance. The Biography website has some great videos about Sacagawea. InterExchange Career Training USA is a top J-1 Visa sponsor for university students and young professionals who have already secured internships or training programs with companies in the U. If you still need to find an internship or training program in the U.

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Ani is a fan of exploring new places through photography and the local cuisine. Career Training USA is a cultural exchange program that enables current university students and young professionals from all over the world to pursue internships in the U.

Read about the adventures others have had and get excited for yours. Charbonneau proposed that L ewi s and Clark hire him as a guide and interpreter.

Charbonneau knew Hidatsa and the sign languages common among the river tribes. Additionally, h is marriage to the Shoshone Sacagawea w ould be useful as they traveled west , where they would likely encounter and need to trade with the Shoshone. L ew is and Clark hired Charbonneau as a member of their expedition, the Corps of Discovery , while Sacagawea was expecting her first child. The Americans stayed in their relatively safe and warm camp through the winter of and waited into the spring so that Sacagawea could accompany them west.

On February 11 , , Sacagawea gave birth to a son, Jean -Baptiste Charbonneau , whom Clark later nicknamed "Pomp," meaning "first born" in Shoshone. With her her baby on her back and her husband by her side, Sacagawea and the men left Fort Mandan on April 7 , At about 17 years of age, she was the only woman among 31 older men on this portion of the expedition.

Each member of the Corps of Discovery was hired for a special skill such as hunting, woodworking, blacksmithing, and sailing. Her knowledge of the Shoshone and Hidatsa languages was a great help during their journey.

She communicated with other tribes and interpreted for Lewis and Clark. She was also skilled at finding edible plants , which proved to be crucial to supplementing their rations along the journey. Further, Saca g awea was valuable to the expedition because her presence signified peace and trustworthiness. A group of men traveling with a woman and her baby appeared less menacing than an all-male group , which could be mistaken for a war party.

Saca g awea and her baby helped those they encountered feel it was safe to befriend the newcomers. Sacagawea faced the same dangers and difficulties as the rest of the expedition members, in addition to caring for her infant son. Charbonneau was steering a boat through choppy waters when a sudden gust of wind caused the boat to tip sideways and fill with water.

Sacagawea stayed calm and rescued instruments, books, gunpowder, medicines, and clothing from the water. Without these supplies, the expedition would have been in serious trouble.

They were near an area where her people camped. On August 15, , the expedition encountered the Shoshone tribe. Lewis and Clark arranged for a meeting with the chief, Cameahwait, and Sacagawea served as the translator.

As she began interpre ting, she realized that the chief was in fact her brother. She ran to embrace him and wept from joy. Though she was moved to tears, she resumed her duty as interpreter. She convinced the Shoshone to provide additional guides and horses to the expedition members. Lewis and Clark met Charbonneau and quickly hired him to serve as interpreter on their expedition.

Even though she was pregnant with her first child, Sacagawea was chosen to accompany them on their mission. Lewis and Clark believed that her knowledge of the Shoshone language would help them later in their journey. Despite traveling with a newborn child during the trek, Sacagawea proved to be helpful in many ways. She was skilled at finding edible plants.

When a boat she was riding on capsized, she was able to save some of its cargo, including important documents and supplies. She also served as a symbol of peace — a group traveling with a woman and a child were treated with less suspicion than a group of men alone.

Sacagawea also made a miraculous discovery of her own during the trip west. When the corps encountered a group of Shoshone Indians, she soon realized that its leader was actually her brother Cameahwait. It was through her that the expedition was able to buy horses from the Shoshone to cross the Rocky Mountains.

Despite this joyous family reunion, Sacagawea remained with the explorers for the trip west. After reaching the Pacific coast in November , Sacagawea was allowed to cast her vote along with the other members of the expedition for where they would build a fort to stay for the winter.

They built Fort Clatsop near present-day Astoria, Oregon, and they remained there until March of the following year. Sacagawea, her husband, and her son remained with the expedition on the return trip east until they reached the Mandan villages.

During the journey, Clark had become fond of her son Jean Baptiste, nicknaming him "Pomp" or "Pompey. Once Sacagawea left the expedition, the details of her life become more elusive. In , it is believed that she and her husband — or just her husband, according to some accounts — traveled with their son to St.

Louis to see Clark.