Lewis and clark among the indians Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lewis and clark among the indians - Essay Example The American explorations have extended beyond the earth and now venture to delve into the interstellar space. But space adventure is insipid because it has more space for machines and the technicalities are beyond the comprehension of ordinary men. Ronda thinks that the story of Lewis and Clarke is more palpable as it is still accessible. It is possible to follow the footprints of Lewis and Clarke and hence Ronda gives the directive, " to get off the boat, and get on the bank". It is usual for American explorers to use casually terms like "wilderness" and "unknown" to describe homelands of native people. In fact these regions were the real milieu of Native American homes with their adjoining gardens and hunting lands. The journey of Lewis and Clark and their entourage, bearing the massive inventory of the expedition could not have completed the mission without co-operation and support of the natives. It is highly doubtful whether they would have survived in the rugged and hostile terrain without heavily relaying on the expertise of the natives for whom it was their home. The wealth of vital topographic knowledge about rivers, streams, hills, and passages might have been invaluable logistic support on their itinerary. Sacagawea epitomized in many ways the wide interaction between the natives and Corpse of Discovery. She was not merely a handy guide; her presence reassured the Native Page 3 Americans that the expedition was not a hostile military infringement on their domain. Her standing as the sister of Cameahwait, a Shoshone chief, who provided crucial assistance, which did contribute to the success of the expedition. In addition to that Sacagawea was a crucial link facilitating communication with her own people, the Shoshones. The expedition of Lewis and Clark was a command exploration ordered by the then United States President, Thomas Jefferson. Why did he order it There are a plethora of motives that goad explorers to brave the tumultuous waves of perilous oceans, to confront the dusty heat waves of the desert and to scale the precipitous cliffs. But social historians have narrowed down the motives of the states man to the inordinate craving of man for gold and glory. Ronda's book does highlight these motives found in this mission. The purchase of Louisiana in 1803 was an event that wet the American appetite for expansion. The U. S. Congress appropriated 2500 U S Dollars for this. The parameters of the exploration were set as the study of the Indian tribes, Botany, Geology, Western Terrain and wildlife and to evolve a strategy to contain the British and French-Canadian poachers who were some what well established in the region. Page 4 Another motive of the venture was to carve out a viable route and survey the possibility of opening up a fully operational waterway to aid the American expansion further westward. Though this objective could not be achieved, the first contact of Lewis and Clark