How did Lewis & Clark know where to go? 

Thank you RareMaps.com for supporting another video! Their maps and descriptions are a huge part of the research and visuals that go in these videos. You can purchase your own map related to the Lewis & Clark expedition on it from their website. - RareMaps.com/

Those continental outlines of the maps are bloody accurate given the level of technology at time. Highly impressed by work the cartographers of the past.

They knew what they were doing, when Aerosmith told them to, "Walk This Way!"

The Lewis and Clark expedition was a spectacular achievement when you consider they made it back alive. Especially when compared to the Burke expedition in Australia where everyone died in a land where there was plenty of water and thousands of people lived.

Long, long before L&C, French-Canadian fur traders had pretty thoroughly made it to virtually every nook and cranny of the West. And they had been 'exploring' since the 1500's. They just didn't write books about it or draw maps. L&C frequently mention them as being their guides. They lived with and totally integrated with the Indian tribes and were the agents in selling their furs to big Montreal fur trading companies. The Metis people, still very common in Canada and parts of US are the result of intermarriage Indian/French. Many place names as far south as Texas have French names.

Having been a student of this trip for 50 years at least, it is good to hear well researched information accurately related for a change.

Alexander Mackenzie of the Hudson's Bay Company had crossed North America overland in 1793 and had published a map of his travels in 1801 so they could have had access to his map but he travelled far to the north of their crossing, over 1000 km north. Other than showing it could be done I'm not sure how useful it was for them.

Wow aerosmith has been on tour forever but I didn't think for THAT long :pp

This was great! Peter Fidler and David Thompson could be considered the Canadian/British version of Lewis and Clark. Famous, but not even close to as famous as Lewis and Clark. They have a lot of things named after them, including two streets in my neighbourhood. I'm related to Perter Fidler, actually...well, being a map maker, he got around, A LOT of people on the Canadian Prairies are related to him...

Thank you for mentioning Sir Alexander Mackenzie! "Alex MacKenzie / from Canada / by land / 22d July 1793", ten years before the Corps of Discovery. A proud Canuck!

Nice work, Geography Geek. While I love maps, the L&C expedition was a hard trek, pulling a boat up river by leg power, crossing the Rockies where one mountain rose behind another, getting the drizzling $h*ts, reaching the coast and spending the winter then turning around and making the whole trip back again. In the course of "history" we forget that L&C only made it once. A Delaware Indian named Black Beaver made it up the Missouri seven times.

Excellent, informative video- thank you. I’m glad it gives credit to the American Indians and their contributions. Of note, only Lewis was a captain in the eyes of the army. Clark was commissioned for the expedition as a first lieutenant, despite Lewis’ request he be made a captain and co-leader. Lewis kept that information from the expedition members, and they lead the expedition as equals. I mention that in no way to nitpick the content in your video. It’s just interesting that they’re always referred to as equals- and should be- but at the time the government only had one leader in mind.

I've read much on the Lewis and Clark journey and accomplishments. Your video and references that support it, provide so many more facts that are not so much exposure - rather an understanding of reality. Much appreciated.

Appreciate your work, well done.

So glad to see the record set straight at last. A little surprised to see how little mention David Thompson got. His exploration map of the Columbia was right on their route.

thank you for posting this!

This was very well done. Keep it up!

Another wonderful video! Keep up the great content!!!

great video as always! keep it up!

Love maps and history so thanks for both!

Magnificent journey of information. The stories of our ancestors are best not forgotten. Thanks.

Glad you did this oneeee I’ve been wanting to know more about them !!! 😂

They had a French Canadian guide, who had extensive knowledge of the west, including knowledge of the tribes and language families. It's really strange that you have ignored this in your video. Look up Toussaint Charbonneau.

Good bit of information, thanks for sharing!!

A concise yet great video! Always a pleasure to learn FACTS instead of generalities and "opinions". Thanks a lot.

Good vid! Superb research. SUBSCRIBED.

You seem to be missing the Miera de Pacheco maps (which one of the French mapmakers seems to have cribbed from) or delved into the amount of experience the French had in the Great Plains to include the 1751 trading expedition from St. Louis to Santa Fe.

Great video - new subscriber 👍🇨🇦

I've just watched this video, sitting comfortably at home on the couch with a cup of coffee. To either side of me are my two cats, Thompson & Mackenzie. And yes, they are named after David Thompson and Alexander Mackenzie. The weird thing is that, while they were named when they were kittens of the same litter, they grew up to have distinctive personalities that very closely match each of their namesakes. I would be delighted to see your planned video on David Thompson, and I would offer a tidbit that biographers have generally missed. Thompson had great facility with First Nations languages, and he kept detailed notes of every language he encountered. From these notes, he was able to construct what he judged to be the relationships between these languages, which belonged to the same family, how close or far they were to each other. And his judgment was pretty much correct. His biographers simply mention this as a detail, without realizing it's significance. Thompson was, all on his own, independently applying the techniques of Linguistic Typology that DID NOT YET EXIST in the world of linguistics. He was doing this before Adelung, Bopp, Humboldt, etc. laid the groundwork for this science, and a hundred years before von der Gabelentz's "Sprachwissenschaft", he was doing typology on that level. As a cartographer and explorer, Thompson was no doubt one of the greatest. He started as an impoverished charity-school urchin, was in Canada by the age of 14, working as an indentured servant of the Hudson's Bay Company. After a lifetime of spectacular accomplishments, he died in poverty near Montreal. His Métis wife, Charlotte, shared many of his adventures, and they remained a faithful couple for 58 years. When Thompson died, she was forced to sell his precious surveying equipment to pay off debts, but she expired within months of her beloved. Thompson was known to the First Nations as "The Stargazer".

This was a US government sponsored expedition. They had plenty of resources to plan and gather intelligence prior to the trip. They could easily access local guides along the way to help provide direction through the terrain.

I really enjoyed your video tho... you did a good job of balance and illustrating that Indians had a lot more navigational information than Europeans ...

Thank you!

We missed you last year

The oldest surviving capital in the United States is in my home state. Santa Fe, New Mexico along with California had been explored and mapped by Spaniards in the 1500’s.

Not forgetting Henry Kelsey who was the first known European to see the northern North American plains (Saskatchewan) in1690!

Did not expect to see the Peter Fiddler statue from my hometown of Elk Point in this video!

This should have way more views Thanks for the video man

Well done. Thanks for setting the record straight and giving credit where it's due. History has a tendency to get painted with a broad brush.

Well done.

I live in NW Oregon and I have traveled along the historical wagon trail over the cascade Santiam pass. Camped in Astoria where Lewis and Clark set up by the coast. Which means they included having to pass over the coastal range as well. I just can't imagine what it must have been like to travel all that distance in the era and having to find how to make it across the Rockies/Grand canyon regions of the trip.

Thank you 🎈

This reminds me of a Book called "The White Indian Boy" which tells the story of a Taylorsville Utah boy who for about two years lived with a tribe of the Shoshone Nation. One of the older Native Americans in the tribe has met the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Excellent video. Glad to see mention of Alexander McKenzie and the greatest explorer of North America, David Thompson. Too often their achievements are lost in telling the tale of Lewis and Clark. McKenzie's travels were one of the factors that inspired Jefferson to send Lewis and Clark west, he felt the U.S. was behind in exploring the west.

Arrowsmith map: "Walk this way!"

Not much known in the US that Jefferson got the idea of such expedition from Alexander von Humboldt expedition to South America. Jefferson and Humboldt were writing letters for a long time.

Good information . The journal of the Corps stated the purpose of the expedition was to inventory the contents of the new Louisiana Purchase not exploration of the unknown .

its so cool seeing the topic of an essay i wrote in a youtube video, like!!! i know that!!! i saw that arrowsmith map!!!

Enlightening, thank you. 🤔🥰❤️‍🔥🤙🏻✨

"Was the West really unexplored?" My short answer: no My long answer: read a book, people

Please read Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose if you haven't. Basically, Lewis and Clark's mission was to find a Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, to record their path and document and send back examples of flora and fauna of what they found in the new purchased Louisiana Territory.

It's interesting to note that none of the early maps depicted the most defining feature of the upper Missouri River; the Great Falls- a series of impassable cascades in North Central Montana. The knowledge of this was carried by Natives but somehow never got put on a map. If it had ,the Expedition would have saved about 10 days travel time in getting to The Rockies before the snow.

Thanks

I read somewhere that when Lewis & Clark would stop for the night they would take a big block of butter and pour hot rum on it. It does sound like it would make the evenings by the campfire more pleasant but you might question the accuracy of their journals.

It appears they renamed many of the named rivers as they went along.

Never knew Aerosmith played such a large role in the building of America.

So short version is that they had a good collection of cobbled together information and a hunch to confirm?

LCNHT bicentennial reenactor here. Even our own Captain Clark said that we traveled through someone else's back yard. Clark's original map had estimates of Indian populations but the information was later removed by the government to make it look like no one was there.

They ask around in St. Louis and were told to just follow the big "W" on the compass. Worked too.

For the closed caption transcriber: The mapmaker is Arrowsmith not Aerosmith (rock band). 😂

Check out a dude named Moncacht Ape. He was a Native from the South who travelled everywhere between the Atlantic and (most likely) the Pacific and related the story of his journeys to the French, which is how we know about it. A 17th century American ibn Battuta. Ancient Americas has a great video about him.

WHERE CAN I FIND COPIES OF THESE MAPS .. I HAVE A NICE COLLECTION AND ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE

They did not know where to go. They followed the largest river, they named the Jefferson at Three Forks. That led them to the Lemhi Pass. When they reached the Salmon River they realized they could not put canoes into the river due to the rapids. So they had a guide take them up over Lost Man Pass in to the Lolo River drainage, then over Lolo Pass into the Clearwater River where they built their birch bark canoes and met up with the Snake River where Clarkson Washington and Lewiston Idaho are today. It took them 51 days. Upon return the Nez Perz guided them over the short route what is known today as Lewis and Clark Pass. It took a whole 4 days.

I you were a Keetoowah you need no map. Follow the Savanna to Quala, Then take the Hegehogee to the Mississippi, then down to the White River where you pick up the Arkansas River to Monarch Pass and then there are various routs to the west cost. Keetoowah showed Pale Face this trail. It is called The Holy Faith Trail. But you would know it by it's Spanish name. The Santa Fe Trail. How do I know this, I was taught this by my family at a Cherokee Pow Wow at Norfork on the White River.

there is a stone map in egypt that was produced about 4,000 yrs. ago it is the brown cow milking scene in the tomb of Montuhotep ll and it is published in a book "the treasures of the Pharoahs" by Delia Pemberton. it is a map of north america in extreme detail.

Wish there had been mention of Moncacht Ape, who had journeyed from Louisiana to New England then back, and then to the Northwest coast, back in the 18th century, and had told his story to some Frenchman who in turn made some maps.

I didn't realize that Aeorosmith was so prolific in map making.

Aerosmith made maps for Lewis and Clark? Wow, those guys are old.

and also correct to say Lewis & Clarke, both army engineers, needed the assistance by Sacajawea to see where the sun was going down

Oh Arrowsmith! I thought you kept saying Aerosmith! Rock on!

The spanish rich out to alaska and charted and maped all the map you mention that include newmexico texas California florida luisiana oregon all those land was mexico spanish land

So that is how Aerosmith became an American Idol.

Everytime you said Aaron Smith I could only hear Aerosmith.

I believer it was the famous Edward's and Hunt that made the journey and discovered most of the west. This was painstakingly documented in the movie Almost Heros.

What is the name of the "rock in Idaho?" Obviously it's in Idaho, but I'd like to find out where.

Also the spanish had been allover the west coast mining gold there are still mines and canons in spots out west people have found spanish graves armore and lots off stuff

Indeed, European explorers received assistance from native peoples; Simon Fraser on his way to the Pacific was able to negotiate the treacherous canyon of the river which now bears his name by following trails constructed by the locals.

Arrowsmith? Should be named Mapsmith, am I right?

Very interesting and informative video! Thanks. Also, I noticed a misspelled word in the description info. Captain Lewis’ first name is spelled Meriwether, not Merriweather. (Just hoping to be helpful.)

Information most Canadians know. Listen to Stan Roger’s ‘Northwest Passage’

I suppose you could say that Arrowsmith told them to “Walk This Way”

In those days British North America and the USA were not friends, so it’s interesting that Americans were able to get information from the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company out Montreal. As many will already know Alexander Mac Kenzie was the first to across the continent two decades before Lewis and Clarke, but what you may not know is he was born in what is now the USA and was the son of a loyalist who fought for his King against the Americans. Many of Canadians greatest explorers and fur traders were also loyalists and to this day one in five Canadians are descended from loyalists.

Years ago I read a well written detailed book about the expedition. Can’t remember the author. What I remember most that was not taught in school, mentioned here or anywhere else was that there was a fair sized black dude that was chosen for the expedition as a member (NOT a slave in any way) and his interactions with native Chiefs! No spoilers…..ya gotta find and read the book!!!!

Thomas Jefferson had a room in the White House filled with mammoth fossils and such, people were worried about running into giant cyclops.

5:10 the black holes..overlapping: DEFINITELY a bullet that struck the heart of the folded card bearer...

They had GPS without question lol

Having played the part of Merriwether Lewis in a fourth grade play back in the 60's I know the answer. They asked the Indians they ran into on the way west. They used the Missouri river as a road.

Lewis & Clark relied on Aerosmith for maps? He was a better rock musician than a map maker!

Everybody stands on the shoulders of those who came before them. It still does not demean that the gathering of information and publishing it for the people's influenced by them.

Here I was thinking I had stumbled upon the origin of Aerosmith, but it was just your accent.

Did you know Wampum Beads are such good money on these trails they the started making Wampum Beads in England.

How hard was it to head towards the sunset???

History is written by the Victors (Napoleon). The French arrived and settle Quebec 100 years before the Mayflower. They traversed the waterways., Blocked by Niagara, Jacque Cartier took the Ottawa River, Crossed the Mattawa river into Lake Nipissing, down the French River into Lake Huron. Settle Fort Detroit. 1550. Others fund routes to Chicago and crossed over to the Mississippi which joined them to New Orleans/ St Louis and claimed it all for France. by 1650. They continued along the rivers setting trading post and Catholic Missionaries throughout the west. The native tribes of the west first met white Frenchmen and would have a PARLEY. French word for talk. The french where very independent, and being thousands of miles from the KING. dispersed and created small independent communities through the land. To this day America has far more towns and cities with french names then Spanish. Detroit, Marquette, Chicago, St Paul and more where started in the 16 hundreds. Lewis and Clark where escorted by French Officers and Men as well as Native Guides, who knew where to go, how to get there, This version of history is not as Romantic and Heroic, but then History is written by the victors. I like my history books old,before professors can re-write them to be more politically correct.

Good stuff better than the history channel

3:15 Ghee-Yohm D'Lyle

A part you left out, Philip Turnor was instrumental in Lewis and Clark and his maps were first of the Hudson Bay Area and first surveyor hired by Hudson Bay in late 1780’s.

ohh "arrowsmith" i thought he said aerosmith and wondered if there was a connection😀

L&C spent 3-months with the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho. Said they would come back. L&C never went back. in 1831, after 25-years the Nez sent five warriors on horse east to find L&C. They found Clark in St. Lewis. If you want the details, message me

Hasn't it Long been known that Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark navigate across to the New Frontier

Don't forget Sir Alexander MacKenzie - the first (of the Europeans) to cross the continent.

Aerosmith had maps?!