The Lewis And Clark The Land Of The United States

Before the expeditions of todays well known Lewis and Clark, the entire western end of the United States was uncharted territory consisting of new peoples and surroundings waiting to be discovered. A member of this team included John Colter , who is an unknown person to most historians. Colter was an important piece of this group, and though he did not stay with Lewis and Clark during the entirety of two years, from May 1804 to September 1806, he was an essential component of their travels. While Lewis and Clark have been recognized with pioneering the lands in the Louisiana Purchase during the 1800s, no recognition has been awarded to John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition . Colter deserves attention for locating the†¦show more content†¦Since they had so many men, they could all split up into small groups to cover more ground to be able to document it for Jefferson and the rest of the United States. Colter unfortunately showed another side to himself a few weeks after the group set off. Sergeant John Ordway was given command while Lewis and Clark left to finalize their supplies needed for the journey. Colter disobeyed Ordway’s orders and was also court-martialed for threatening to shoot Ordway. Colter improved his attitude and they kept pushing forward and soon met one of the first Native American tribes during the winter of 1804-1805. This tribe was Mandan’s and they did not turn to violence against their the group and actually let them stay for the entirety of the harsh winter. During the two years journey, Colter was also given the title of the group’s best hunter and trapper, keeping the men healthy by being able to provide game. The men explored much of the lower Rocky Mountains and most of present-day Montana, Oregon, and North Dakota. They also became the first white American men to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1805. There they built Fort Clatsop because of the neighboring Indian tribe. The Corps of Disco very , aka the Lewis and Clark Expedition, befriended dozens of Indian tribes who helped them along their journey. Without these tribes the party would’ve died of starvation or from the extreme weather conditions,