Sacagawea--Chapter 2  Discussion Questions                                                                  

1. Sacagawea now is sold to whom? What is his name? What does he do for a living? How old is he?

2. It is now October, 1804. Sacagawea is expecting a child now. How old is she now? (Hint: You have to do     some math for this one!  What year was it that she was kidnapped by the Minnetaree?) 

3. On page 15, they talk about white men with two different kinds of boats. One is a keelboat and there are two  dugouts called pirogues. Describe those two kinds of boats.

4. What is the Corps [pronounced: core] of Discovery? Who is in it? Who do they work for? What is their             mission?

5. Read the last paragraph on page 15 and the rest of it on page 16. Now, can you show on a map where          the Louisiana Territory was located? Show your partner.

6. When President Jefferson bought this land, how old was the United States?

7. What were the main advantages of President Jefferson buying the Louisiana Territory? Name two.

8. Jefferson had a third reason for buying this land. It was to help get furs delivered easier to China. The route    needed to take furs to China now took 3 years by ship around South America. What did he think might             help get them across the United States faster? (Hint:  What “passage” was he hoping to find?)

9. What was Lewis and Clark’s assignment? What did President Jefferson want them to do along the way?

10. During Christmas in the year of 1804 at Fort Mandan, the men exchanged gifts. Why did Sacagawea find    this to be a strange custom?

11. Why did they decide to take Sacagawea on the expedition even though she would travel with a newborn?

12. Who was Jean [john] Baptiste? What was his nickname?

13. What was Meriwether Lewis trained to do?

14.What was Captain William Clark trained to do? What was his nickname?

15.Who was York?

16.Why was salt taken with other equipment and provisions? How much was packed?