Also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 has been called the most successful exploration in American history. But how much do you know about it? For this week's #ThrowbackThursday, we invite you to take our 10-question quiz to find out. The answers are at the end of the quiz, but don’t peek ahead…we’ll know!
1. What United States President commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
a. George Washington
b. John Adams
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. James Madison
2. When the Corps of Discovery left St. Louis is 1804, what river did it ascend?
a. Missouri River
b. Upper Mississippi River
c. Ohio River
d. None of the above
3. Miraculously, only one member of the Corps of Discovery (Sergeant Charles Floyd) died during the expedition. How did he die?
a. Grizzly bear attack
b. Fall from a horse
c. Cholera
d. Appendicitis
4. Sacagawea (sometimes called Sakajawea or Sakagawea), the young Indian woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark through the West and acted as an interpreter with the various Indian tribes they met, was a member of what tribe?
a. Shoshone Indians
b. Mandan Indians
c. Lakota Sioux Indians
d. Cleveland Indians
5. Sacagawea was pregnant when she met the Corps of Discovery and several weeks later went into a slow, painful labor. Her husband, the Frenchman Toussaint Charbonneau, suggested she be given a potion to ease her labor. What did Captain Lewis give her?
a. Buffalo tongue mixed with water
b. Rattlesnake rattles mixed with water
c. Campfire ashes mixed with water
d. None of the above
6. One member of the Corps of Discovery was known by only one name: York. Who was York?
a. Captain Lewis’s large Newfoundland dog
b. William Clark’s slave and manservant
c. Sergeant Floyd’s mule
d. None of the above
7. Who was accidentally shot during the expedition?
a. Meriwether Lewis
b. William Clark
c. Pierre Cruzatte
d. None of the above
8. From the time the Corps of Discovery left St. Louis, reached the Pacific Ocean, and then returned to St. Louis, how much time had passed?
a. One year and four months
b. Two years and four months
c. Three years and four months
d. Four years and four months
9. How old were both Lewis and Clark during the expedition?
a. In their early 20s
b. In their early 30s
c. In their early 40s
d. In their early 50s
10. Did Captain Meriwether Lewis actually commit suicide after returning from the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Possibly
d. None of the above
Answers:
- c (Thomas Jefferson)
- a (Missouri River)
- d (Appendicitis)
- a (Shoshone Indians)
- b (Rattlesnake rattles mixed with water)
- b (William Clark’s slave and manservant)
- a (Meriwether Lewis; he was accidentally shot through the buttocks by nearsighted Pierre Cruzatte while elk hunting, but made a full recovery.)
- b (Two years and four months)
- b (In their early 30s)
- c (Possibly; on October 11, 1809—three years after the Lewis and Clark Expedition—Meriwether Lewis either committed suicide or was murdered; historians are unsure which.)
Scorecard: Well, how did you do?
One to five answers correct: Not so good; you were sleeping during high-school American History class.
Six to eight answers correct: Well done; you were paying attention during high-school American History class.
Nine to ten answers correct: Exceptional; you should be teaching a high-school American History class!
