Westward Expansion

Hello. My name is Sacagawea, and I am from the Shoshone tribe. When my story begins, I was a young woman with a tiny baby boy named Jean Baptiste. I called him Pompy, which means 'little chief.' One day, two brave captains named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark came to our village. They were the leaders of a group of explorers called the Corps of Discovery. They told me that the President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, had sent them on a very important mission. America had just gotten a huge new piece of land in 1803 called the Louisiana Purchase, and no one knew what was out there. They wanted to travel all the way to the Pacific Ocean. But they couldn't do it alone. They needed someone who could speak different languages and knew the land. They needed me. I packed up my dear Pompy onto my back, and we joined them to begin the biggest adventure of our lives.

Our journey began by paddling up the wide and winding Missouri River. It was hard work. Every day, the men would row the boats against the strong water, and I would help find food like berries and roots to eat. The land was so big and beautiful. We saw giant herds of bison that looked like a furry, rumbling carpet covering the plains. One scary day, on May 14th, 1805, a big gust of wind hit our boat. It tipped sideways, and everyone gasped. Important things started to fall into the river. Without even thinking, I reached into the cold water and saved their maps, books, and medicines. Captain Clark said I was very brave. Having my baby Pompy with me was also very helpful. When we met other Native American tribes, they saw me and my baby and knew we were not there to fight. A woman and a baby are never part of a war party, so they knew we came in peace. After many months, we finally reached the tall, snowy Rocky Mountains. This was the land where I was born. And guess what. We met my people, the Shoshone. The chief was my very own brother. I was so happy I cried. My brother helped the captains get the horses they needed to cross the giant mountains.

After crossing the mountains, we finally made it. In November of 1805, we saw the biggest water I had ever seen—the Pacific Ocean. It stretched out forever and tasted salty. We had to build a fort to stay in for the winter, and Captain Clark let everyone vote on where to build it. He even let me vote, and an enslaved man in our group named York. It made me feel very respected. After a long, rainy winter, we began the long journey home, using the maps we had made. We returned as heroes. The stories and maps we brought back showed other American families, called pioneers, how to travel west. Our journey helped change America forever, showing people the way to new homes and new lives. I am proud that my courage and knowledge helped my friends explore the great, wide country.