12/17/24- Teachers and Parents - Happy Holidays!!! Purchase a subscription to the ad-free, full-content, unlimited students version of MrNussbaum.com! Click "Sign up" in the upper right corner. Join thousands who enjoy the site with tons more content and options! Only $29 per year. You can now gift a subscription also! Much better than chocolates or gift cards!

Advertisement

Remove ad

This page contains a stirring introduction into the realities of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Lewis and Clark Stamp

Introduction

Imagine This:

* Your arms are numb from fighting the raging current of the Missouri River for eight hours each day;

* Your life and the lives of every member of the expedition are threatened by hostile Native Americans;

* You've endured a winter in which soul-piercing temperatures regularly fell to -45 Fahrenheit, not including the wind;

* Vicious animals such as Grizzly Bears and rattlesnakes and thundering herds of Buffalo were constant threats;

* Torrential rains threatened to wash out the expedition and rock-sized hailstones relentlessly pounded on you from above;

* Scorching temperatures during arduous summer portages tested every fiber of your being;

* Fleas, lice, and dense swarms of mosquitoes sucked away your blood;

* Needle-sharp spines from pesky prickly pears, seemingly destined to pierce your feet did their job and destroyed your moccasins at the same time;

* Miles and miles of towering snow-capped mountains stood in your way. Crossing them would result in frostbite, near-starvation, and the hopeless realization that the ranges might never end, and you may die, lost forever among the rocky peaks and snowdrifts.

* Finally, after you managed to survive and endure all of the hardships and physical and mental challenges, and at the climax of an epic journey, you spend an entire winter devoid of sunshine, soaked by an unrelenting, cold rain in a 50 square foot, fetid cabin with at least 40 other people.

Does this sound like an EPIC dystopian novel or movie that sounds incredible? This journey was every bit as amazing as those from the Hunger Games or Divergent, except it was real. This was the reality of any of the 42 members of the Corps of Discovery in the Lewis and Clark adventure. Can you imagine?

The 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark journey was a real-life adventure story that could rival any in fiction or non-fiction today. It is a story of adventure and discovery, of reunion and redemption, and perseverance and innovation. Over the course of two years, William Clark, Meriwether Lewis and 40 other pioneers traversed and mapped the unexplored Louisiana Territory by boat and by foot and documented over 300 new species of animals and plants as well as numerous Native American groups. Miraculously, only one member of the Corps of Discovery died during the two-year journey, and he died of a burst appendix early in the journey. Learn all about this amazing, true story by taking the MrNussbaum.com EPIC journey of Lewis and Clark.

Part 2: Into the Wild

Lewis and Clark Adventure:

Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Into the Wild
Part 3: Teton Sioux Territory
Part 4: The Mandans
Part 5: Grizzly Country
Part 6: Great Falls of the Missouri River
Part 7: Shoshone Country
Part 8: The Bitterroots
Part 9: The Columbia River
Part 10: Fort Clatsop
Part 11: Return Trip

Lewis and Clark Articles

Lewis and Clark Activities

Advertisement

Remove ad

Related activities

Advertisement

Remove ad