A Trip Through Time
Lewis and Clark Edition
Lewis and Clark encountered many tribes and places on their journey.
Over the course of two years, 4 months, and 10 days, Lewis and Clark saw many new places and met many new people. They had many stories to tell as well! Let's see these places, meet these people, and hear these stories as we go back in time on our Field Trip to the Past!
Marbury Vs Madison
Marbury Vs Madison was caused by a thing that started even before Thomas Jefferson was elected president. This court case is perhaps the most iconic case in American history. This was the very first case to incorporate the principle of Judicial Review. Judicial Review means that the court states whether or not the crime or act at hand was "constitutional" or not. This court case was the first to apply the principle. The judge was Chief Justice John Marshall. The case was about how Madison had given out jobs to people and they were to have these jobs for life. Thomas Jefferson came into the White House at midnight, the day Jefferson was supposed to move in, just to tell them to stop the system and to stop jobs from leaving the building. Marbury was upset that he didn't get his job, so he went to court. This case went all the way up to Supreme Court, where the final verdict was made. The judge stated that yes, he should have gotten his job. However, the law in which this job was built on was unconstitutional. Therefore, Marbury did not get the job, and the first verdict made by Judicial Review was done.
The Louisiana Purchase
Starting with how it all went down, the Louisiana purchase was when Napoleon had a bunch of land that he didn't know what to do with and wanted to sell it for profit. Thomas Jefferson wanted to expand the U.S., so he bought the land. This purchase could arguably be the greatest deal of all time, with Jefferson getting an enormous amount of land for just $15 million dollars. That's the equivalent of getting three cents per acre.
Thomas Jefferson
Not only the third president of the United States, Jefferson was much more than just a spokesperson for a country. He was also a lawyer, architect, inventor, musician, horseman, scientist, and a big reader. He hold many of his inventions in his personal home, complete with a book stand created so Jefferson could read more than one book in the same sitting.
Meriwether Lewis
Many know the story, but do they know the iconic heroes themselves? Meriwether Lewis was born on August 18, 1774 and died on October 11, 1809. In the year of 1809, Lewis was having a hard time choosing between the Indians and the interests of America. Lewis left St. Louis for a trip to Washington. On a riverboat to Memphis, his difficult feelings were increased with his drinking and he attempted to take his own life twice. Later, he succeeded in the practice when he shot himself in the forehead, then the chest. A sad end to a man who had an amazing adventure.
William Clark
Clark was the accompaniment for Lewis on the expedition, creating graphs while Lewis drew animals and plants. Clark was born on August 1, 1770, and died on September 1, 1838. Clark failed at his attempt to become governor for Missouri and went back to his ways with the Indians. He was, however, named Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1822, a job that consisted of supervising the removal process of Indians and their tribes. He remained the Superintendent until his death, but was remembered for the fairness and honesty of both Indians and Whites the same.
The Nez Perce Tribe
It has been said that the Nez Perce tribe was the friendliest and kindest to Lewis, Clark, and their crew. The Nez Perce tribe was also the largest tribe Lewis and Clark met, with a population of 6,000. Nez Perce is French, meaning pierced nose, noting on the nose pendants some of them wore on their noses.
The Shoshone Tribe
The Shoshone Tribe was divided into 4 groups: Northern Shoshone, Western Shoshone Wind River Shoshone, Comanche. When Lewis and Clark needed horses, the Shoshone delivered. Lewis tracked down the tribe and started to convince them to hand over the animals. Shortly after, Sacagawea noticed that she recognized the Chief. As it turns out, the Chief was her brother. One thing lead to another and the Shoshone ended up giving them the horses they needed.
The Tavern Cave
Two days after Lewis and Clark had left St. Louis, the team visited Tavern Cave. This landmark was well-known to French, Spanish, and Indians who were around the area. It's a large cave with an opening about 120 feet wide, 40 feet deep, and 20 feet high.
Why go on the expedition?
One reason may was to see once and for all if there was a Northwest Passage. It was a fabled water route that would travel from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the Northwest Passage. Lewis found the beginning of the Missouri River, and this was a gracious time. However, it also meant that the Northwest Passage does not exist.
The Grizzly Story
A few of the group members from the Corps of Discovery went off and encountered a grizzly bear. They shot it once, thinking it would die, but this grizzly wasn't going anywhere. After it recovered the small shock from being shot, the bear began to charge the crew, but stopped for reasons unknown. The funniest part about this story? It wan't even a full grown grizzly, just a bear cub.