William
Clark
*United
States 1770 - 1838
(the
United States was not a coutry yet when William Clark was born)
William
Clark was the youngest brother of Revolutionary War hero George
Rogers Clark . He would grow up to become one of the
greatest explorers in United States history.
William Clark was born on August
1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia. He grew up on his family's
Virginia plantation. As a young man Clark received little formal
education. When he was 14 years old, the family moved to Kentucky.
On the frontier Clark learned many of the skills he would later
need in his career.
At the age of 19, Clark joined the
military. He was a skilled soldier and rapidly rose through the
ranks. In 1796 Clark left the military to help run his family's
Kentucky plantation.
In 1803 President Thomas
Jefferson won the approval of Congress to explore the newly
purchased Louisiana Territory.
Jefferson chose his secretary Meriwether
Lewis to lead a small group of explorers up the Missouri
River. One of the group's goals was to find an all-water route
from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
Lewis knew it would be an important
and dangerous trip, so he chose his trusted friend William Clark
to lead the voyage with him.
While in the army Clark had learned many skills that would be
valuable to the expedition. These skills included how to build
forts, draw maps, and survive in the wilderness. For several months
in 1803, Clark studied astronomy and mapmaking to prepare for
the trip.
In May 1804 the group, known as
the Corps of Discovery, left St. Louis, Missouri, and headed up
the Missouri River. By winter they had reached a Mandan Indian
village in what is today North Dakota. It was here that they met
a Native American woman named Sacagawea
(sa•kuh•juh•WEE•uh), who helped the party reach its goal.
Lewis and Clark's expedition
to the Pacific Coast and back took almost three years.
Along the way, Clark drew
detailed maps of land that had until then been unknown to
people living in the United States. He also described and sketched
pictures of many animals that had never been seen by people in
the East, such as coyotes, antelopes, and mule deer. The explorers
faced many hazards along the way, such as grizzly bears, rattlesnakes,
and rapids. Several times Clark's skills and quick thinking helped
the party avoid disaster.
In the fall of 1806, Lewis and Clark's
expedition returned home to a hero's welcome. President Jefferson
rewarded Clark's bravery by giving him 1,600 acres of land and
making him a brigadier general.
In 1813 Clark became the governor
of the Missouri Territory. In 1822 he was made superintendent
of Indian affairs, a job he held for the rest of his life. In
this job Clark urged the government to treat Native Americans
fairly. He continued to work for fair treatment of Native Americans
until his death on September 1, 1838, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Information
taken from:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/biographies/wclark/
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