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News of the impending expedition spread throughout the Louisville, Ky.-Clarksville, Ind. region and along the Ohio River. Frontiersmen — drawn by the possible land rewards such a journey might bring — trekked to Clark’s homestead, in hopes of being one of the lucky men chosen for this historic adventure. Men lined up, showing off their hunting skills, proving their strength and demonstrating their good character. A handful of men were selected. York, Clark’s slave, also came along.
More men were recruited as the journey moved westward, including several soldiers from the U.S. Army and woodsman George Drouillard who would be indispensable during the voyage as an interpreter. Frenchman Toussaint Charbonneau joined the group in present-day North Dakota and brought along his Shoshones wife, Sacagawea, and their newborn son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau.
Eventually, 33 people comprised the permanent party that ventured west from Fort Mandan to the Pacific Ocean and back. It was an inspiring adventure that took them places no other white men yet had ventured. Amazingly, despite many obstacles and close calls with sickness, only Sergeant Charles Floyd died along the way.
Hailed as heroes on their return, Americans learned of the American West and its richly abundant landscape through their journals — several of the men also kept diaries — and stories afterwards. Their journey made a tremendous contribution to Western science, while charting new lands.
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