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Quick Facts
- NAME: William Clark
- OCCUPATION: Explorer
- BIRTH DATE: August 01, 1770
- DEATH DATE: September 01, 1838
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Virginia
- PLACE OF DEATH: St. Louis, Missouri
Best Known For
William Clark was half of the famous exploration team Lewis and Clark, who explored and mapped the unknown lands west of the Mississippi River.
Videos see all videos
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Lewis & Clark - The Return (2:21)
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Lewis and Clark - Discovering the Louisiana Purchase
In order to learn about the territory in the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson hired explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map the land.
Lewis & Clark - The Rockies Dilemma
Perhaps one of the most important people Lewis and Clark would ever encounter was Sacagawea, a young Shoshone girl who helped them navigate the harsh lands of the Western United States.
Lewis & Clark - The Return
After they returned from their two year journey, Lewis and Clark were national heroes.
Lewis & Clark - The Louisiana Purchase
When Thomas Jefferson wanted to unite the country from coast to coast, he chose two very qualified men, Lewis and Clark, to lead an expedition westward to find the best route.
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Play NowWilliam Clark. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 03:26, May 22, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620.
William Clark. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620 [Accessed 22 May 2013].
"William Clark." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 22 2013, 03:26 http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620.
"William Clark," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620 [accessed May 22, 2013].
"William Clark," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620 (accessed May 22, 2013).
William Clark [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 22] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620.
William Clark, http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620 (last visited May 22, 2013).
William Clark. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/william-clark-9542620. Accessed May 22, 2013.
Synopsis
Born on August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia, William Clark went on to become half of the legendary exploration team of Lewis and Clark. The journey began when Meriwether Lewis invited him to share command of an expedition of the lands west of the Mississippi River. After more than two years and more than 8,000 miles, the expedition helped mapmakers understand the geography of the West.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
U.S. soldier and explorer. Born on August 1, 1770, in Caroline County, Virginia. A younger brother to Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark, William Clark entered the military at the age of 19. First he served in the militia and then entered the U.S. Army. Clark became friends with Meriwether Lewis while the two served together in 1795. The next year he resigned from the army to become the manager of his family's estate.
In 1803, Clark received a letter from his old friend Lewis, inviting him to share command of an expedition of the lands west of the Mississippi River. The legendary journey began the following May in St. Louis, Missouri. An experienced soldier and outdoorsman, Clark helped keep the expedition moving. He was also an excellent mapmaker and helped to figure what routes the expedition should take.
Sacagawea
The trip was not without hazards. Clark helped lead the expedition through treacherous terrain and hostile weather. They encountered many native peoples along the way. While spending their first winter near a Mandan village, they invited Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian, and her husband Touissant Charbonneau, a French-Canadian trader, to join the expedition as interpreters. During the journey, Sacagawea gave birth to a child named Jean Baptiste in February 1805. The child was later nicknamed "Little Pomp" or "Pomp" by Clark.
The expedition made it to the present-day Oregon coast in November 1805. They built a fort they named Fort Clatsop and waited out the winter there. In March, the expedition prepared to make the journey back to St. Louis. In early July, Lewis and Clark decided to divide into two groups to see more of the area. Clark took a group with him to explore the Yellowstone River. During this part of the journey, he named a rock formation after Sacagawea's son, calling it Pompy's Tower. The formation stands near what is now Billings, Montana, and bears the only physical trace of the entire expedition's path - "W Clark July 25 1806" carved on its surface.
Post-Expedition Life
Clark is rejoined by Lewis by the Missouri River in August, and the expedition reached St. Louis the next month. Traveling for more than two years and covering more than 8,000 miles, the epic journey had reached its conclusion. The return of the Corps of Discovery - the name commonly used by historians to describe this expedition - was marked by numerous celebrations. Clark and Lewis were treated like national heroes. They were rewarded for their trailblazing efforts with extra pay and land. Clark also received an appointment as the agent for Indian affairs in the West and became a brigadier general of the militia.
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Included In These Groups
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- In this group:
- William Clark
- Meriwether Lewis
Lewis and Clark
View groupMeriwether Lewis and William Clark, at the request of President Thomas Jefferson, led an expedition to survey the land West of the Missipppi, known as Louisana Territory, that had been purchased from France in 1803. Lewis, Clark, and the rest of their expedition began their journey near St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1804. This group - often called the Corps of Discovery by historians - faced nearly every obstacle and hardship imaginable on their trip. They braved dangerous waters and harsh weather and endured hunger, illness, injury, and fatigue. During their first winter, they recieved help and guidance from Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian.
Lewis and Clark 2 people in this group
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Wild West
View groupThe Wild West holds a special place in American history—Western films depict it as a place where the rules didn't apply, and where scores were settled with gun slinging and shootouts. The colorful characters who made up the old West were men, women, cowboys, Indians, sheriffs just plain outlaws. Though we've come to have a more nuanced understanding of the good and the bad of the old West, we can still learn from the stories of the people who made it and who wrote about what it was.
Wild West 24 people in this group
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Famous Leos 522 people in this group
