Biography of Sacajawea

Sacajawea entered American history when she accompanied the Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, from the plains of North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean. She worked as a guide, naturalist and translator for the group.

Early life

Part of the Shoshone tribe, Sacajawea was born in 1787 near Three Forks, Montana. At the age of 13, she was kidnapped by a band of roving Hidatsa warriors and transported back to their village. The name Sacajawea is taken from the Hidatsa phrase for "Bird Woman." At 16, she was married to a French fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau. A much older man, he purchased Sacajawea and another woman as slaves.

Travels with Lewis and Clark

In late 1804, the Corps of Discovery arrived at Fort Mandan, North Dakota, to rest for the winter. The Corps recruited Charbonneau as a translator for the expedition. The fact that Sacajawea spoke the Shoshone language was an added benefit. At this time, she was pregnant with her first child and gave birth to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau in February of 1805, an event well documented in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Later that spring, the expedition set out for the Pacific Ocean; Sacajawea carried her infant on her back the entire way. She aided the Corps with guiding skills throughout Montana and North Dakota, while at the same time acting as translator for the various tribes the expedition encountered.

Later life

In August of 1805, the expedition returned to Fort Mandan, where Lewis and Clark parted ways with Sacajawea and Charbonneau. The Corps extended an invitation for the two and their child to accompany them to St. Louis, but it was declined. In 1809, the couple made their way to St. Louis, however the trip was short-lived. They returned to North Dakota to settle near Fort Manuel a few months later and left Jean Baptiste to live with William Clark. After 1809, the trail of Sacajawea starts to fade. Records at Fort Manuel indicate that she died of "putrid fever," now known as diphtheria, in December of 1812.

Sacajawea was an integral member of the Corps of Discovery expedition. Without her skills and knowledge, many speculate that the expedition could have ended in failure. Her invaluable aid has earned Sacajawea an honored place in American history.