Lewis and Clark, Part 7: Crossing the Great Divide

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

In late July 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the Rockies, searching for the Shoshone from whom they hoped to purchase horses for their journey over the mountains. Lewis led scouting parties up an Indian trail that led to Lemhi Pass, and on August 12, one of the most memorable days of the expedition, became the first American to cross the Continental Divide. The next day Lewis finally found the elusive Shoshone. On August 17, in a script seemingly out of Hollywood, as the captains and Shoshone Chief Cameahwait sat down for a council, Sacagawea shrieked and began hugging the chief; turns out Cameahwait was Sacagawea’s brother! Fortune was definitely shining on Lewis and Clark.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses Lewis and Clark crossing the Great Divide, and why it still matters today.  

Images courtesy of Alamy, National Gallery of Art, Yale University Art Gallery, WikiArt, Library of Congress, Wikimedia, World History Encyclopedia, The New York Historical Society, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

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Tom Hand
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Lewis and Clark Expedition, Part 6: The Wonders of the Upper Missouri River