Born on
August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia, William Clark went on to become
half of the legendary exploration team of Lewis and Clark. The journey began
when Meriwether Lewis invited him to share command of an expedition of the
lands west of the Mississippi River. After more than two years and more than
8,000 miles, the expedition helped mapmakers understand the geography of the
West.
U.S. soldier and explorer William Clark was
born on August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia. A younger brother to
Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark, William Clark entered the military
at the age of 19. First he served in the militia and then entered the U.S.
Army. Clark became friends with Meriwether Lewis while the two served together
in 1795. The next year he resigned from the army to become the manager of his
family's estate.
In 1803,
Clark received a letter from his old friend Lewis, inviting him to share
command of an expedition of the lands west of the Mississippi River. The
legendary journey began the following May in St. Louis, Missouri. An
experienced soldier and outdoorsman, Clark helped keep the expedition moving.
He was also an excellent mapmaker and helped to figure what routes the
expedition should take.
The trip was not without hazards. Clark helped lead the expedition
through treacherous terrain and hostile weather. They encountered many native
peoples along the way. While spending their first winter near a Mandan village,
they invited Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian, and her husband Touissant
Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trader, to join the expedition as interpreters.
During the journey, Sacagawea gave birth to a child named Jean Baptiste in
February 1805. The child was later nicknamed "Little Pomp" or
"Pomp" by Clark.
The
expedition made it to the present-day Oregon coast in November 1805. They built
a fort they named Fort Clatsop and waited out the winter there. In March, the
expedition prepared to make the journey back to St. Louis. In early July, Lewis
and Clark decided to divide into two groups to see more of the area. Clark took
a group with him to explore the Yellowstone River. During this part of the
journey, he named a rock formation after Sacagawea's son, calling it Pompy's
Tower. The formation stands near what is now Billings, Montana, and bears the
only physical trace of the entire expedition's path—"W Clark July 25
1806" carved on its surface.
Clark is rejoined by Lewis by the Missouri River in
August, and the expedition reached St. Louis the next month. Traveling for more
than two years and covering more than 8,000 miles, the epic journey had reached
its conclusion. The return of the Corps of Discovery—the name commonly used by
historians to describe this expedition—was marked by numerous celebrations.
Clark and Lewis were treated like national heroes. They were rewarded for their
trailblazing efforts with extra pay and land. Clark also received an
appointment as the agent for Indian affairs in the West and became a brigadier
general of the militia.
Clark
married Julia Hancock in 1808. Along with his own family, he cared for the
children of Sacagawea after she died in 1812. The next year, he served as
governor of the Missouri Territory, a position he held for seven years. Once
the territory became a state in 1820, Clark ran for governor but lost the
election. He continued his work in Indian affairs and was known for his fair
treatment of Native Americans.
Clark
died on September 1, 1838, in St. Louis, Missouri. He has been remembered as
one of the country's greatest explorers. The maps he drew helped the U.S.
government—and the rest of the nation—understand the geography of the west. His
journal also provided insights into the lands, peoples and animal life of the
region.
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