The Lewis and Clark Expedition took place on August 31, 1803 and was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. This expedition was organized by Thomas Jefferson after purchasing the land for 15 million dollars. In a letter to Congress, Jefferson wrote: The appropriation of twenty-five hundred dollars, "for the purpose of extending the foreign commerce of the United States" (Jefferson 2). The $2,500 was for shipping, so for Jefferson, this new land was more than simply doubling the land of the United States, but making more money for the United States by making allies with the Native Americans. These Native Americans proved to be more useful than just for trade, they kept Lewis and Clark The expedition would not be a complete failure. If it were not for the help of the Native Americans, the Lewis and Clark expedition would not have been a success. Examples of natives helping the expedition would be: The tribe's knowledge of the land helped guide the expedition and helped them find food. Another example would be: the exchange of food and supplies between the expedition and the Native Americans. Finally it would be: Sacagawea helping Lewis and Clark by being a member of the expedition, leading and keeping peace with the tribes they encounter. The tribe's knowledge of the land gave Lewis and Clark direction for their expedition and kept them alive. The land was all unexplored, so they had no idea what to expect and had to ask the Native Americans for help. An example of Native American help would be the Shoshone telling Lewis and Clark that there is no all-water route to the Pacific, they explain that the only way is through the Bitterroot (Rockie) Mountains (pbs.org: Shoshone Indians). Another example would be that the local Indians at Fort Clatsop (Pacific coast) told the expedition about a whale that had beached itself, the expedition could get blubber and oil to survive on (pbs.org: Sacagawea). So the Shoshone telling Lewis and Clark about the lack of an all-water route shows that the Indians' knowledge of the land helped the expedition (they could have wandered for months looking for a water source in the Pacific) . Local Indians recounting the expedition of a whale also demonstrate that the Indians took care of them, so they did not starve when winter came. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The exchange of food and supplies between the expedition and the Native Americans kept the expedition going. Once again, since the land was all unexplored, the expedition did not know where to hunt or when a winter storm would end, so they would have to ask the Indians for help. During the winter with the Mandan, the Mandan agreed to be suppliers of goods for the expedition during the harsh winter (Ambros [Voyage of Discovery] 75). In order for the expedition to cross the Bitterroot Mountains, they traded with the Shoshones for horses (pbs.org Shoshones). The expedition exchanged gifts with the natives they encountered as peace offerings, such as beads, brass buttons, axes, vermilion, scissors, mirrors, whiskey, and many other things (Ambrose [Undaunted Courage] 155). When the expedition came across a group of Shoshone women, the women were scared at first, but the expedition gave them gifts and painted their faces with vermilion, which was a sign of peace for the women (pbs.org Sacagawea) . Also making peace with the chiefs of the Mandan area and with the Mandan chief giving them handkerchiefs, bracelets and paint, this made the chiefs very happy and appreciated by the whites (Captain.