4 4 20 lewis and clarks packing list (social studies)

President Jefferson’s IdeaIn the early 1800s, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had to pack for the camping trip of their lives.. President Jefferson proposed the expedition b

by Kate Johanns

Packing List

Lewis

and Clark’s

by Kate Johanns

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Susan Carlson

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Packing List

Lewis

and Clark’s

What would you pack for a weekend camping trip? How about food, clothing, and

a small stove? Don’t forget your tent, sleeping bag, and a map to help you identify important landmarks such as lakes

Two days of camping can take a lot of

preparation What would you do if your trip

were to last two years over a route that had

never been explored?

What would

you pack for a

camping trip?

President Jefferson’s Idea

In the early 1800s, explorers Meriwether

Lewis and William Clark had to pack for the

camping trip of their lives President Thomas Jefferson had asked them to explore the land

beyond the Mississippi River They would lead

a group called the Corps of Discovery

The United States purchased this land they would explore from France The new land was known as the Louisiana Territory President

Jefferson bought the land for only three cents

an acre An acre is almost as big as a football

field! The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size

of the United States

President Jefferson proposed the expedition because he wanted information about the new territory Most of all, he wanted to find a route

to the Pacific Ocean following the Missouri and Columbia rivers Before railroads were invented, waterways were the fastest way to travel

President Thomas Jefferson was very interested in learning about the Louisiana Territory.

River

Missouri River

End of Journey,

November 1805

Missouri River

Start of Journey, May 1804

Fort Mandan (Lewis and Clark meet Sacagawea)

R O C K

Y M O

U N T A I N S

Lewis and Clark

Journey west

Lewis and Clark’s route was a challenging journey

through unexplored land

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

A Tough Packing Job

Lewis and Clark left from near St Louis, Missouri, in May 1804 Survival would depend

on the supplies they took with them or found along the way

The Corps of Discovery included about 45 people They started out in boats All supplies had to fit in their 55-foot keelboat and two open boats called pirogues (PEA-rohs) When the corps could not travel by boat, they walked

or traded with Native Americans for horses

On land, they could only take as much as they could carry Otherwise, their travels would be very clumsy

Food for the Journey

The explorers would have to live off the

land They brought guns and knives for

hunting In case they couldn’t find any food,

Lewis and Clark brought a portable soup—a

thick paste made from dried boiled beef and

dried vegetables They brought 193 pounds of it with them That’s a lot of soup!

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were

brave leaders and explorers.

Meriwether

Lewis

William Clark

Help from Native Americans

Lewis and Clark knew they would not succeed without some friends in the new territory They packed gifts for the Native Americans they would meet In return, they hoped for information about native plants

Lewis and Clark packed 4,600

sewing needles, 144 pairs of

scissors, and 130 rolls of tobacco

to give to Native Americans.

Staying Warm and Dry

Most Corps of Discovery members were

soldiers who brought along fancy uniforms

These uniforms impressed Native Americans However, these uniforms weren’t strong

enough or warm enough for the entire journey Lewis bought ordinary clothes including 45

flannel shirts, 20 coats, and 15 pairs of wool

overalls to keep the explorers warm He also

bought plenty of blankets

The explorers’ clothes didn’t last the entire journey They had to make new clothes Native Americans taught the explorers how to make pants, shirts, and even shoes from animal

skins

Special Purchases

Lewis thought of another very special supply to bring along He purchased a dog

to accompany the explorers on their journey The dog’s name was Seaman Lewis wrote in his journal that Seaman would hunt squirrels

Lewis’s dog, Seaman, was a Newfoundland.

President Jefferson gave Lewis and Clark

$2,500 to buy supplies They spent much of it

on things they knew they couldn’t buy along

the way, such as medicine

Lewis and Clark gathered record-keeping instruments such as compasses and a telescope They also bought a dictionary and books about plants and animals President Jefferson was

interested in plants, animals, and geography It would be the explorers’ duty to keep detailed journals about nature After the journey, they would share the information with the people back home

Mathematical Instruments

• Compasses

• Telescope

• Thermometers

Camp Supplies

• 150 yards of cloth for tents and sheets

• Pliers, chisels, and handsaws

• Mosquito curtains

• 10 ½ pounds of fishing hooks and fishing lines

• 12 pounds of soap

• 193 pounds of “portable soup”

• Writing paper, ink, and crayons

Presents for Native Americans

• 12 dozen pocket mirrors

• 4,600 sewing needles

• 144 pairs of small scissors

• 10 pounds of sewing thread

• Silk ribbons

• Handkerchiefs

• Bright-colored cloth

Packing List

• 45 flannel shirts

• Coats

• Shoes

• Wool pants

Arms and Ammunition

• 15 rifles

• Knives

• 420 pounds of lead for bullets

• 176 pounds of gunpowder

Medicine and Medical Supplies

• 50 dozen Dr Rush’s patented “Rush’s pills”

Traveling Library

• Dictionary

• Books about plants and minerals

• Map of the Missouri River

Planning Paid Off

Lewis and Clark made friends with some Native Americans along the route, including their interpreter, Sacagawea In turn, the Native Americans helped them with food, travel, and survival

Lewis and Clark’s planning paid off The expedition reached the Pacific Ocean in

November 1805

TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder Many of your vocabulary words are nouns One of them, supplies, is plural Plural means more than one

What other vocabulary words can also be made plural? Copy and complete the chart below.

Write About It

Text to Self Write a journal entry about your

trip to school each morning Describe the

buildings and landmarks that you see along the way Include at least two words from the word

builder in your paragraph.

supply

duty

?

?

supplies duties

?

?

TARGET VOCABULARY

accompany

clumsy

corps

duty

interpreter

landmark proposed route supplies territory

TARGET STRATEGY Visualize Use text details to form pictures in your mind of what you are reading.

Which vocabulary word has something in common with the following words: dollhouse,

cup-ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02318-2 ISBN-10: 0-547-02318-9

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: Q

DRA: 40

Social Studies

Strategy:

Visualize

Word Count: 936