It was a cold February day when Jean Baptiste was born. His mother, Sacagawea, hoped he would like traveling with her in a cradle board, for they were going to the Pacific Ocean with the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Sacagawea was born in 1788 or 1789 in a Shoshone village in what is now called Idaho. Her father was chief of the Shoshone people. When she was ten or eleven an Hidatsa war party attacked the village. They stole horses, killed many people including her mother. Sacagawea ran but she got caught and was taken as a prisoner to their village hundreds of miles away.

Hidatsa sold Sacagawea to Toussaint Charbonneau and she married him. Sacagawea joined Lewis and Clark in late November 1804. Sacagawea served as an interpreter. Her husband was also hired as an interpreter by Lewis and Clark.  Sacagawea traveled with them all the way to the Pacific Ocean. She finally returned to her village in August 1805.

Some people believe Sacagawea died on December 20, 1812. But she may have died of old age on April 9, 1884.

We got our information from:

A Picture Book of Sacagawea by David Adler
Sacagawea, Native American Hero by William R. Sanford

To learn more about Sacagawea click here or on her name.

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