The Lewis And Clark Journey (1968)

[Music] 1803 was the year of the Louisiana purchase. A vast area of land between the Mississippi River on the east and the Rocky Mountains on the west was added to the United States. Thomas Jefferson was president. At his direction, an expedition was planned with Merryweather Lewis and William Clark in command. The goal of the expedition was to follow the Missouri River to its source and then find the best route by water to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson hoped this expedition might also strengthen claims of the United States to the Oregon country. The story we're going to tell of the Louiswis and Clark expedition comes from the journals they kept during their travels and the history of the expedition which was based on their journals. Our pictures come from a modern expedition. With these people, we'll follow the Louiswis and Clark trail to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition set out in three boats. This is a replica of the largest of them, christened the Mandan by its modern builders. The boat was 55 ft long with 22 wars and one large square sail. The expedition began near the city of St. Louis where the Missouri flows into the Mississippi. Now, in the words of the explorers, all the preparations being completed, we left our encampment on Monday, May 14th, 1804. By the 1st of June, they had reached the present site of Jefferson City, Missouri. >> June 24th. We now see numerous herds of deer pasturing in the plains. Lewis and Clark made careful notes of the plants and animals they saw. The morning of July 4th was announced by the discharge of our gun. [Music] July 14th, we saw today for the first time some elk. On July 28th, the expedition approached the present site of Council Bluffs, Iowa. In their journals, they noted the appearance of the country. We enjoy from the Bluffs a most beautiful view. A party of Oto and Missouri Indians came at sunset. We hold a council in the morning, August 3rd. The incidents just related induced us to give to this place the name of the council bluff. [Music] Now at the end of August, they were in Sou Country. We set the prairies on fire to warn the Sue of our approach. August 28th, we formed our camp in a beautiful plane tow the arrival of the Sue. September 1st, we proceeded this morning under a light breeze. They left the present state of Nebraska and moved into what is now South Dakota. Here they had their first view of prairie dogs. We arrived at a spot nearly 4 acres in extent and covered with small holes. These are the residents of little animals who sit erect and make a whistling noise, but when alarmed take refuge in their holes. They resemble a small dog in some particulars. The head resembles the squirrel. The fur is fine and the long hair is gray. By the 1st of October, the expedition had reached the present side of Pier, South Dakota. The weather was growing cold. October 6th, the morning was still cold. We saw geese, swan, ducks of different kinds on the sandbarss. On shore, we saw numbers of the prairie hen. October 22nd. The beaver is here in plenty. Now at the present site of Bismar, North Dakota, the expedition had come as far as it would in 1804. October 28th, we shall be obliged to pass the winter at this place. A chief arrived this morning with an invitation from the Grand Chief of the Mandans. Captain Clark walked down to his village. A plaque marks the place where they built their cabins and spent the winter. This place, which we call Fort Mandan, is situated in a point of low ground on the north side of the Missouri. They made careful observations of the weather every day. November 29th, the snow which fell yesterday and last night is 13 in in depth. December 12th, the wind is still from the north. The thermometer being at sunrise 38° below zero. [Music] January 1st, 1805. The new year was welcomed by two shots from the swivel and a round of small arms. The winter of 1805 was ending and spring was on its way. March 3rd, the weather pleasant, the wind from the east with clouds. A flock of ducks passed up the river today. April 5th, fair and pleasant. We are occupied in loading our boats in order to proceed on our journey. The expedition was on its way again. One of the new members was an interpreter, Tusa Charbano, a Frenchman. His Indian wife, Sakagawa, also accompanied them. This is her statue at Bismar. This is her great great granddaughter. Sakagawia's grave is a thousand miles away in Wyoming. [Music] Sakugawa helped the expedition by making friends with Indians along the difficult journey to the Pacific. Through April, Lewis and Clark moved generally westward along the river. As President Jefferson had directed, they continued making careful observations. [Music] We saw some cranes, the largest bird of that kind common to the Missouri and Mississippi. April 26th, we encamped at the junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. May 4th, there are, as usual, vast quantities of game and extremely gentle. They reported on the customs of Indians along the way. May 29th on the north we passed a precipice under which lay scattered the fragments of at least 100 carcasses of buffaloos. [Music] The buffaloos had been chased down the precipice in a way very common on the Missouri and by which vast herds are destroyed in a moment. [Music] The Indians then select as much meat as they wish. At the end of May, they pass through what is now called the Missouri badlands in central Montana. May 31st. These hills and rivercliffs rise in most places nearly perpendicular from the water. Water has worn the soft sandstone into a thousand grotesque figures. [Music] Martins have built their globular nests in the niches. June 1st, we found the river cliffs and bluffs not so high as yesterday. June 12th crossed a ridge and from its top had a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. They were more than halfway to the Pacific. But the hardest part of the journey was soon to come. Captain Lewis explored ahead of the others and on June 13th came upon a magnificent site, the Great Falls of the Missouri. Captain Lewis reached the falls and enjoyed the sublime spectacle of this stupendous object. June 20th, Captain Clark fixed the route most practicable for the portage. To bypass the falls, they had to carry their boats and provisions 17 m overland. The prickly pear annoyed us very much today by sticking through our moccasins. By the middle of July, they were moving upstream against a strong current. They had traveled almost the full length of the Missouri River. July 19th, the rocks approached the river on both sides, forming a most sublime and extraordinary spectacle we called the gates of the Rocky Mountains. A week later, they arrived at a place where the Missouri branched into three rivers of equal size. Here, the Missouri began. July 25th, Captain Clark arrived at the three forks of the Missouri. The southeast fork in honor of the secretary of the treasury we called Gallatin's River. We gave to the northwest branch the name of Jefferson in honor of the President of the United States and called the middle branch Madison after James Madison, Secretary of State. July 30th, we began to ascend the Jefferson River. The current is rapid. The stream gradually became smaller. One of the men with one foot on each side of the river thanked God that he had lived to bedride the Missouri. On August 12th, they crossed the Continental Divide. Now they would follow rivers downstream to the Pacific Ocean. They found a mountain stream. We stopped to taste for the first time the waters of the Colombia. It was their hope that they had found one of the streams that eventually flowed into the Columbia River. August 13th, we met a troop of nearly 60 warriors. Indians guided them through the mountains. September 9th, we halted at a stream we called Traveler's Rest Creek. Our guide told us that we should hear leave the river. [Music] September 14th. The mountains which we crossed today were much more difficult than those of yesterday. The whole stock of animal food was now exhausted, and we therefore killed a colt on which we made a hearty supper. [Music] September 16th. We had seen four deer, yet we could not procure any of them. The men are growing weak. But at last, they were through the mountains. October 7th, the canoes were loaded and every preparation made for setting out. This river is a clear, rapid stream. October 16th, the river empties itself into the Colombia. At the junction, the Colombia is 960 yd wide. October 22nd, we came to the Great Falls. By November 2nd, they had passed the last of the rapids on the Colombia. November 5th, the river widens. November 7th, 1805. Great joy in camp. We are in view of the ocean. This great Pacific Ocean which we have been so long anxious to see. And so Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific. The next spring they started home. [Music] By fall, they were back where the expedition had begun. [Music] September 23rd, 1806, descended to the Mississippi and round to St. Louis. Having fired a salute, went on shore and received the heartiest and most hospitable welcome from the whole village. The expedition had taken nearly two and a half years. Lewis and Clark had served the people. As Thomas Jefferson later wrote, [Music] "In endeavoring to extend for them the boundaries of science and to present to their knowledge that vast and fertile country which their sons are destined to fill with arts, with science, with freedom and happiness. [Music]