Sacagawea was a young Shoshone woman who traveled with the Corps of Discovery. When she was a child, she was taken from her Shoshone community by a Hidatsa group. Years later, Lewis and Clark met Sacagawea, her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, and their baby son. The family joined the expedition in 1805.
Sacagawea helped the Corps in many ways. She spoke Shoshone and Hidatsa and helped the group communicate with Indigenous people. She also knew how to find plants for food. When a boat almost tipped over, she saved important supplies that had fallen into the water.
Later, the Corps met with the Shoshone people. Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark communicate with them. The Shoshone gave the Corps horses and information that helped them cross the Rocky Mountains.
Sacagawea also knew some of the lands they traveled through. On the trip home, she helped Clark's group find a route through the mountains. Her language skills and knowledge helped the Corps of Discovery during its long journey.
After the journey, Sacagawea and her family returned to the area near the Hidatsa villages. Later, her son went to St. Louis, where William Clark helped with his education. Historians are not certain what happened to Sacagawea after that, and there are different accounts of when and where she died.
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