Sacagawea | |
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Born | May 1788 Lemhi River Valley, near present-day Salmon, Idaho, US |
Died | December 20, 1812 (aged 24) |
Nationality | Lemhi Shoshone |
Other names | Sakakawea, Sacajawea |
Known for | Accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition |
Spouse | Toussaint Charbonneau |
Children | 2, including Jean Baptiste Charbonneau |
Sacagawea (/ˌsækədʒəˈwiːə/ SAK-ə-jə-WEE-ə or /səˌkɒɡəˈweɪə/ sə-KOG-ə-WAY-ə;[1] also spelled Sakakawea or Sacajawea; May c. 1788 – December 20, 1812)[2][3][4] was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who, in her teens, helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition in achieving their chartered mission objectives by exploring the Louisiana Territory. Sacagawea traveled with the expedition thousands of miles from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean, helping to establish cultural contacts with Native American people and contributing to the expedition's knowledge of natural history in different regions.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association of the early 20th century adopted Sacagawea as a symbol of women's worth and independence, erecting several statues and plaques in her memory, and doing much to recount her accomplishments.[5]