Did You Know These Facts About Sacagawea?
Who knows how long Meriweather Lewis and William Clark would have made it on their Corps of Discovery expedition without the help of the young Shoshone Native American woman Sacagawea, who acted as an interpreter for the Corps along with the trapper Toussaint Charbonneau. While she is such an important figure in American history, not much is known concretely about Sacagawea, with plenty of facts blending with fictionalized tellings of her story. Here are some firm facts we know about Sacagawea's life.
She was Kidnapped at a Young Age
Sacagawea was born in 1788 near the border of present-day Montana and Idaho in the Lemhi Shoshone tribe, also known as Agaidika or "Salmon-Eater." At the age of 12, she was likely kidnapped by the Hidasta tribe and then sold into a non-consensual marriage with Toussant Charbonneau a year later.
She Was Pregnant When She Joined the Expediiton
Sacagawea was pregnant with a child with Charbonneau when they joined the Corps of Discovery. Their son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was born on February 11, 1805, at Fort Mandan, where the Corps spent a winter. The infant Jean Baptiste's presence with Sacagawea likely helped assure Native tribes that the Corps did not have violent intentions throughout their journey.
Her Name's Spelling is Debated
There were eight different spellings of Sacagawea's name in Lewis & Clark's journals, and Lewis provided a potential meaning of the name, writing that it meant "Bird Woman" in Shoshone in an entry where he discussed naming a river after her. There's a chance it was actually spelled Sacajawea ("Boat Launcher" in Shoshone), or even Sakakawea, a regional spelling specific to the North Dakota area.
How She Helped the Corps
The common belief was that Sacagawea acted as a guide for the Corps. Still, she likely wasn't that involved in navigating, though she did make key recommendations that helped them get through Montana and other regions. Her main responsibility was as an interpreter, and she also assisted the Corps by foraging for edible plants and crafting moccasins and other clothing.
She Encountered Her Brother on the Journey
In the summer of 1805, Sacagawea was reunited with her brother Cameahwait when the Corps encountered a group of Shoshone in Montana near the headwaters of the Missouri River. Thanks to Cameahwait, the Corps had horses and a guide named Old Toby to navigate the formidable Rocky Mountains.
She Formed a Friendship with William Clark
While Meriweather Lewis didn't seem to care much for Sacagawea, Clark was much more fond of her, though rumors that they had a romance aren't substantiated by evidence. He expressed regret in a letter to Charbonneau that they weren't able to pay her for her help, and he also became the guardian of Jean Baptiste after Sacagawea's death.
She Likely Died Shortly After the Expedition
While some believe that she could have lived as late as 1884, her most widely agreed-on year of death is 1812, only six years after the end of the Corps of Discovery's journey. She remained with Charbonneau for the rest of her life, first among the Hidasta again before moving to St. Louis in 1809 at Clark's request. Sacagawea had one more child with Charbonneau, a daughter named Lizette, but it's believed she died at a young age.
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