Research

Elliott Coues's 1893 biographical sketch of William Clark, drawing on family records and military documents. Covers Clark's Virginia origins, Revolutionary…

Elliott Coues's 1893 expansion of Jefferson's 1813 Memoir of Meriwether Lewis. Covers Lewis's tenure as Governor of Upper Louisiana, his…

Thomas Jefferson's biographical sketch of Meriwether Lewis, written August 1813 at Paul Allen's request for publication with Biddle's 1814 edition.…

A Sahaptian-speaking people led by Chief Yelleppit. On the return journey in 1806, Yelleppit hosted the Corps for two days…

A Dakota-speaking people met by the expedition on August 30, 1804. Their chiefs, including Weucha, were generally friendly and warned…

Two allied tribes that held the expedition's first formal council with Native Americans on August 3, 1804, at "Council Bluff"…

The most powerful nation on the upper Missouri. The September 1804 confrontation between the Corps and the Brule Lakota at…

An Interior Salish people of western Montana. The expedition were the first whites to encounter the Salish in person at…

A Caddoan-speaking agricultural people along the Missouri River in present-day South Dakota. The expedition held councils with Arikara chiefs in…

A Siouan-speaking people of the eastern Great Plains in present-day Nebraska. They had been devastated by smallpox and warfare with…

A band of Eastern Shoshone led by Cameahwait (Sacagawea's brother) near the Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide. Their trade…

A Salishan-speaking people of the northern Oregon coast encountered during the winter at Fort Clatsop. Clark's whale-blubber trading party visited…

A Chinookan people on the southern shore of the Columbia River estuary. The expedition built Fort Clatsop in their territory…

A powerful trading people who controlled commerce at the mouth of the Columbia River. Led by Chief Comcomly, they were…

Sacagawea's people. The Lemhi Shoshone's trade of horses was absolutely essential to the expedition's survival and ability to cross the…

The Nez Perce people of present-day Idaho saved the expedition from starvation when the Corps descended from the Bitterroots in…

Close neighbors of the Mandan living at the Knife River villages. The Hidatsa were the tribe from whom Sacagawea had…

Sedentary agricultural people living in earth lodge villages along the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota. The expedition built Fort…

Physician and professor of anatomy who trained Lewis in identifying fossils and anatomical specimens. Jefferson hoped the expedition might discover…

An Algonquian-speaking people of the northern Great Plains. The expedition's only violent encounter with Native Americans occurred on July 27,…

A prominent Chinook leader and power broker on the lower Columbia River. A skilled diplomat and trader, he met Lewis…

The powerful principal chief of the Hidatsa-proper who initially scoffed that his warriors could handle Lewis and Clark's soldiers like…

Leading civil chief of the first Arikara village. Among the Arikara chiefs who patiently explained they did not want any…

The great head chief of the Kamiah-area Nez Perce. He hosted a major council in May 1806 where the captains…

A Yankton Sioux chief who spoke with dignity at the August 1804 council, declaring "I am a man and a…

A Brule Teton Sioux chief present at the council on September 25, 1804 alongside Black Buffalo and the Partisan.

One of the four great Nez Perce chiefs who met with Lewis and Clark during the May 1806 councils, participating…

A noted surveyor who taught Lewis celestial navigation, map making, and computing latitude and longitude. He had previously surveyed the…

Described by Clark as "a bold handsom Indian, with a dignified countenance about 35 years of age." He provided canoes…

A Nez Perce chief who befriended the starving Corps when they descended from the Bitterroot Mountains in September 1805. He…