Corps Of Discovery Essay

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The Corps of Discovery’s journey from September 25, 1804–April 6, 1805 led them upstream the Missouri River, traversing through the Dakotas to their eventual wintering refuge near the Mandan Village. Along the way, the Corps inevitably encountered numerous Indian tribes. To complete their journey, Lewis and Clark had to overcome the vast differences between the culture of the Corps and of the Indian tribes to avoid violence and facilitate the flow of supplies. Lewis and Clark’s commitment to peace and active involvement in Indian affairs allowed the Corps of Discovery to establish favorable relations with the tribes, resulting in trading dynamics key to the party’s survival through the winter at Fort Mandan. The idea of peace as the first …show more content…

Lewis and Clark repeated the same process of greeting each chief and group of Indians with gifts, this time without being pressured into contributing more to the tribe. Upon interaction with the Arikara, Lewis and Clark showed not only a desire for peace between the Corps and the Indian tribes, but between the various Indian tribes themselves. The Corps served as liaisons between the tribes along the river, establishing a council of peace and facilitating communication between the different groups of Indians. Lewis and Clark readily carried out the Arikara’s request “to take a Chief of their nation and make a good pact with the Mandins & nations above” (p 162). This not only benefitted the Indian tribes by allowing them to “hunt without fear & [allowing] ther women [to] work in the field without looking everry moment for the Enemey," but also opened the road and safe travel for the Corps of Discovery after leaving Sioux territory, aiding them on their journey as winter approached (p. …show more content…

They crafted a fort near the Mandan village, enlisting the aid of the Indians to find an area with a large enough supply of trees to construct their refuge. Fort Mandan was open to the Indians for trade and conversation as Lewis and Clark would often invite the chiefs to stay with them for a time. One such chief, Black Cat, was viewed very favorably by Clark, described as possessing “more intergrety, firmness, inteligence and perspicuity of mind than any indian” Clark had met, showing Lewis and Clark’s openness to the Indians (p 289). However, Lewis did not approve of unconditional interaction and mandated that only Indians that were wives of interpreters be allowed to remain in the fort from sunset to

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