If you're an expert on the Lewis & Clark Expedition... or just learning... you should find something of interest in this Quiz, prepared by Don Riley of the Idaho State Historical Museum. Take a moment to test your knowledge.

1. Sacagawea was taken captive along with another girl near the three forks of which of the following rivers:
   1. Snake River
   2. Missouri River
   3. Blackfoot River
   4. Yellowstone River

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   These young girls about 11 years old belonged to which of the following Indian tribes:

   1. Nez Perce
   2. Flathead
   3. Kootenai
   4. Lemhi Shoshone

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   The Indians who captured Sacagawea were a war party seeking horses and children. They lived about three hundred miles to the east along the Missouri River and came from which of the following tribes:

   1. Mandan
   2. Sioux
   3. Hidatsa
   4. Blackfeet

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   Her close friend was also enslaved but she escaped a few months later and returned home. Her name was:

   1. Naya Nuki
   2. Blackbird
   3. Running Rabbit
   4. Minnehaha

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   Sacagawea's name means:

   1. Bluebird
   2. Bird Woman
   3. Magpie
   4. Little Owl

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   Sacagawea was bought from her captives by a French Canadian trapper named:

   1. Pierre-Antoine Frambois
   2. Georges Baptiste
   3. Francis Labiche
   4. Toussaint Charbonneau

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   During the winter of 1804-05 Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery built a fort and camped on the North shore of the Missouri River near which of the following Indian tribes:

   1. Mandan
   2. Crow
   3. Sioux
   4. Hidatsa

   Answer

   
   

   Charbonneau asked Lewis and Clark for a job as an interpreter because he could speak several different Indian languages. They hired him after they learned his Indian wife, Sacagawea, was from a tribe near the Rocky Mountains that had many horses. At this time, Sacagawea was expecting her first child. It was a difficult delivery and to help her, Lewis and Clark gave her a drink that included powdered:

   1. Buffalo horn
   2. Rabbit bone
   3. Rattlesnake's rattle
   4. Horse hair

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   Sacagawea's baby boy was named:

   1. Louis Rene
   2. Jean Baptiste
   3. Little Buffalo
   4. Young Bird

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   Sacagawea carried her son in a cradle board strapped to her back and went up the river with the explorers. In July she recognized the place near her home where she had been taken captive. It was:

   1. A tall mountain capped with snow
   2. A crescent-shaped valley where she had been gathering berries
   3. Three small rivers that joined to make the Missouri River

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   She soon recognized another familiar landmark where her people had camped. She called this:

   1. Beaver-head Rock
   2. Flat Top Ridge
   3. Big Eagle Rock
   4. Grasshopper Mesa

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   The Corps of Discovery took the right-hand fork of the Missouri River. They named it:

   1. Madison
   2. Gallatin
   3. Jefferson
   4. Clark

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   The first four men to step across the Continental Divide into what is now Idaho were:

   1. Lewis
   2. Clark
   3. Gass
   4. Bratton
   5. Drouillard
   6. Shields
   7. McNeal
   8. Shannon

   Answer

   
   

   Soon after crossing into Idaho Lewis and Clark discovered an old Indian woman picking berries with some young girls. Lewis called out to her saying:

   1. Me, Friend
   2. Here, I have presents for you
   3. Tab-ba-bone, Tab-ba-bone, Tab-ba-bone

   Answer

   
   

   The young girls ran but knowing she could not escape, the old women crouched down expecting to be killed. Instead, as a sign of friendship, Lewis gave her trinkets and smeared paint on her cheeks. What color was this paint?

   1. Vermilion (Red)
   2. Blue
   3. Yellow

   Answer

   
   

   Soon many Indian braves arrived on fine horses. Using sign language, the explorers explained they were whites from far away to the East. Which member of the Corps of Discovery acted as sign language interpreter?

   1. Drouillard
   2. Shannon
   3. Clark

   Answer

   
   

   These Indians were a very poor tribe except for their fine horses. They mostly lived in tipis of branches and bark. What tribe were they?

   1. Nez Perce
   2. Flathead
   3. Lemhi Shoshone

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   The main foods of the Lemhi Shoshone tribe were:

   1. Buffalo, corn and huckleberries
   2. Elk and potatoes
   3. Berries, roots and fish

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   The Indians had heard of but had never seen white men. Their weapons were mostly bows and arrows. What stone did the Indians use to make their arrowheads?

   1. Obsidian
   2. Granite
   3. Basalt

   Answer

   
   

   The Indians were starved for meat, so Lewis sent his men out to hunt for food. Although they only killed two animals, the Indians quickly ate most of the meat. What animals did Lewis' hunters kill?

   1. Elk
   2. Moose
   3. Deer/Antelope

   Answer

   
   

   When Clark and the rest of the Corps of Discovery made it to the Indian camp, Sacagawea acted as interpreter. She became very excited when she recognized the Chief. He was her:

   1. Father
   2. Brother
   3. Cousin
   4. Husband

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   The Chief's name was:

   1. Kee-O-Me
   2. Many Horses
   3. White Buffalo
   4. Cameahwait, The One Who Never Walks

   Answer

   
   

   In addition to wool blankets and army coats and hats, Lewis and Clark gave the Indians:

   1. Muskets and fine food from the East
   2. Pots, pans, knives and steel arrow points
   3. Beads, shells and fancy ribbons

   Answer

   
   

   To converse with Cameahwait, Lewis or Clark would talk to Drouillard in English, who would then repeat the message to Charbonneau in French, who then spoke to Sacagawea in the Mandan language, and she would translate the message. Cameahwait informed them that the fast flowing river to the West was dangerous to travel by canoe. Clark took some men on horseback down the river and after several miles agreed it was impassable. Today this river is called:

   1. Bitterroot
   2. Snake
   3. Salmon
   4. Lemhi

   Answer

   
   

   The expedition carried many items that were of great interest to the Indians. The most incomprehensible was called "Big Medicine." This was:

   1. Flint and steel to start fires
   2. Black powder rifles
   3. Food that the Indians had never known existed
   4. The mysterious air rifle (It only made a pop, but could shoot 10 or more shots in a minute and kill at 150 feet.)

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   The Indians were also fascinated by Clark's black slave. His name was:

   1. York
   2. Sam
   3. Dan

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   Another great wonder to the Indians was Lewis' large black Newfoundland dog. The dog weighed 150 pounds and loved to retrieve game from the river. What was his name?

   1. Scanon
   2. Blackie
   3. Seaman
   4. Big Foot

   Answer

   
   

   It was almost September and the weather began to turn cold. While Clark looked for a water route, Lewis negotiated for horses and had his men make pack saddles. The explorers needed a guide through the mountains and Cameahwait appointed an old man to guide the white men. What was this guide's name?

   1. Three Fingers
   2. Antelope Hunter
   3. A man Clark called "Old Toby"

   Answer

   
   

   When they were making the pack saddles, the men noticed a white animal hide that they had never seen before. Later, this animal was identified in the mountains. It was a species that was new to the white men, who named it:

   1. Big Horn Sheep
   2. Mountain Goat
   3. Albino Moose

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   To continue on their journey, the Corps of Discovery needed horses for packing and for eating if necessary. How many horses did Lewis obtain by trading with the Indians?

   1. 10
   2. 20
   3. 29

   Answer

   
   

   Old Toby guided the group North across thickets through which the men had to cut a trail. Then the party crossed over very steep rocky hillsides where several horses fell and scattered their loads. In this way, the expedition lost its last:

   1. Compass
   2. Thermometer
   3. Telescope

   Answer

   
   

   Because the traveling was so difficult and the weather turned from snow to rain to sleet, how far was the party able to travel that day?

   1. 5 miles
   2. 7 miles
   3. 10 miles

   Answer

   
   

   The next day the explorers managed to get to the top of the ridge. Today that area is called:

   1. Wisdom Pass
   2. Maria's Pass
   3. Lost Trail Pass

   Answer

   
   

   Old Toby led the group North along a river, where they discovered another band of Indians heading South. This tribe had five or six horses to every Indian. They were very friendly but their language was different. Nevertheless, Drouillard used sign language to trade for 18 more horses. The expedition called these Indians the:

   1. Kootenai
   2. Flathead
   3. Snake
   4. Walla Walla

   Answer

   
   

   The trail North was almost level and ran beside a range of snow-covered mountains to the West. Today, these mountains are called the:

   1. Bitterroot Range
   2. Cabaret Range
   3. Flathead Range
   4. Sawtooths

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   Old Toby stopped the group at a good campground and Lewis named it:

   1. Medicine Springs
   2. Travelers' Rest
   3. Rovalli Creek

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   Old Toby told Lewis and Clark to get all their gear and cold weather clothing in order because now they would turn West and climb up into the mountains. He said the mountains were high and covered with deep snow. He expected they could reach the lowland to the West in five sleeps. Instead, it took the travelers:

   1. 5 days
   2. 7 days
   3. 9 days
   4. 11 days

   Answer

   
   

   Clark wrote in his Journal that he had never been so cold in all parts of his body. Snow continued and there were no game animals to kill for food. How many pounds of meat would each man normally consume daily?

   1. 3 pounds
   2. 5 pounds
   3. 7 pounds
   4. 8 pounds

   Answer

   
   

   The horses resorted to eating:

   1. Evergreen boughs
   2. Cottonwood branches and bark
   3. The little grass they found in the snow

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   With so much snow and overcast skies even Old Toby had difficulty leading the way across very steep ridges. Trees that had been blown over by the wind were everywhere, and the men had to cut through them in order to proceed. To do this, they used the best equipment available, these were:

   1. Broad axes
   2. Crosscut saws
   3. Buck saws and hatches

   Answer

   
   

   In desperation to get out of the mountains, Clark took several men and went ahead to hunt. What tribe of Indians did he also hope to find?

   1. Snake
   2. Shoshone
   3. Nez Perce
   4. Bannock

   Answer

   
   

   On the second day, Clark found some Indians who traded him food. Clark quickly loaded all he could on horseback and sent Reubin Field back with the food. What kind of food was this?

   1. Camas roots and salmon
   2. Deer meat and berries
   3. Elk meat and potatoes

   Answer

   
   

   This change of diet had a very bad effect on all the men. Even Lewis became so sick he couldn't ride. The trouble was:

   1. Dysentery
   2. Food poisoning
   3. Colic

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   The Nez Perce held a council meeting and decided to kill the strange white people. However, an old squaw spoke up and said as a young girl she had been taken captive and forced to go many moons to the East. There white men set her free and traveled West with her. "These are good men," she said. What else did she say?

   1. "Do them no harm"
   2. "They have good things to trade"
   3. "Their medicine is powerful"

   Answer

   
   

   The Nez Perce provided the Corps of Discovery with food and lodging. Their Chief showed Lewis and Clark a place on a large river where they could made canoes. What was the Chief's name?

   1. Twisted Hair
   2. Watkuweis
   3. Joseph

   Answer

   
   

   Today we call this river the Clearwater. What was the Clearwater's Indian name?

   1. Weippe
   2. Kooskooskee
   3. Columbia

   Answer

   
   

   What very large bird did the men see as they canoed down the Clearwater and Snake into the Columbia River?

   1. Bald Eagle
   2. Blue Heron
   3. Condor

   Answer

   
   

   How many miles did Lewis and Clark travel westbound and eastbound with horses?

   1. 500 miles
   2. Over 1,300 miles
   3. About 2,000 miles

   Answer

   
   

   When Lewis and Clark and their party recovered from the diet of camas roots and salmon, they...

   1. Gave all their horses to the Indians
   2. Kept several horses to use while descending the river
   3. Branded all the horses and cut their foretops. Then they left the horses in care of the Chief and his sons, saying they would be back in six moons.

   Answer

   
   

   On October 7, they loaded all their baggage for the trip to the Pacific Ocean. What type of transportation did the Corps of Discovery use to carry their baggage?

   1. Canoes and horses
   2. Canoes made from big pines at Canoe Camp

   Answer

   
   The Return Trip East

   On what day did the expedition leave Fort Clatsop near the mouth of the river and start up the Columbia?

   1. February 27, 1806
   2. March 23, 1806
   3. April 11, 1806
   4. May 9, 1806

   Answer

   
   

   All the men and the Charbonneaus were in shape to start up river except:

   1. Pvt. Bratton
   2. Sgt. Gass
   3. Capt. Clark

   Answer

   
   

   How long was it before the sick man could walk or move about?

   1. Several days
   2. More than two weeks
   3. Until after the expedition reached the Nez Perce in June

   Answer

   
   

   The spring melt made canoe travel up river very difficult and many portages were necessary. Food was always a problem and Capt. Clark could hardly stand the diet. What kind of food were they forced to eat?

   1. Deer and elk
   2. Dogs
   3. Horses

   Answer

   
   

   By the time the expedition had reached Celilo Falls Lewis and Clark knew they:

   1. Had reached the worst part of the rivers
   2. Needed horses to continue
   3. Needed to hire 20 Indians to carry their baggage

   Answer

   
   

   The Indians along the river were poor and untrustworthy. What did these Indians eat?

   1. Root and berries
   2. Horses and goats
   3. Salmon and dogs

   Answer

   
   

   These Indians were poorly dressed and the Corps of Discovery thought they were lazy. Why?

   1. They wouldn't help with the baggage
   2. They had no horses or poor horses to trade
   3. They stole many items of trade goods

   Answer

   
   

   Finally 12 horses were procured. A trustworthy Indian from what tribe agreed to lead them to the Kooskooskee River?

   1. Kootenai
   2. Shoshone
   3. Chopunnish (Nez Perce)

   Answer

   
   

   With their baggage loaded on horses the Corps of Discovery headed east crossing what-is-today southern Washington. Bratton still couldn't walk and was tied on a gentle horse. Finally, the troop reached the

   1. Bitterroot River
   2. Snake and Clearwater Rivers
   3. Kootenai River

   Answer

   
   

   On May 8, the troop reached the Nez Perce camp and found all the horses that they had left last fall in good shape. What was the name of the Nez Perce Chief ?

   1. Twisted Hair
   2. Cut Nose
   3. Yelleppit

   Answer

   
   

   Bratton and an old chief who could not even set up were treated for three days for their illnesses. How was this done?

   1. Sacagawea made medicine for them
   2. Their arms were bled and much blood was taken
   3. Hot steam baths

   Answer

   
   

   The Nez Perce told Lewis and Clark that the trail up and over the Bitterroot Mountains would be covered with very deep snow until

   1. June 1
   2. The middle of July
   3. May 15

   Answer

   
   

   Lewis and Clark decided to move the men and baggage several miles into the foothills without any Nez Perce guides. On what date did they do this?

   1. June 1
   2. June 15
   3. July 1

   Answer

   
   

   Within three days the trail was very uncertain and the snow was 10 to 15 feet deep. What did Lewis and Clark do?

   1. They sent Drouillard and Shannon on ahead to mark the trail and find a place where the horses could forage for grass.
   2. They sent the two men back to the Nez Perce with the promise of guns and horses when they reached Travelers Rest.
   3. They camped and waited for warmer weather.

   Answer

   
   

   After waiting two days, Lewis and Clark decided to

   1. Try to go on the best they could
   2. Hunt for food for themselves and the horses
   3. Leave as much baggage as possible and head back to a lower elevation where there was ample grass and game

   Answer

   
   

   What happened on June 23?

   1. Drouillard and Shannon returned with three Indian guides to take the Corps of Discovery across the mountains
   2. Drouillard and Shannon returned but said the Indians would not come until mid-July because of the deep snow
   3. The expedition all returned to the Clearwater

   Answer

   
   

   The Nez Perce guides knew the best routes through the deep snow and where to find grass on the south slopes for the horses. When did they expedition finally arrive at Travelers Rest?

   1. July 2
   2. July 10
   3. July 25

   Answer

   
   

   At Travelers Rest Drouillard used sign language to learn much as they all sat and smoked the pipe. The Indians exchanged names with the expedition's leaders. What did the Nez Perce call Lewis?

   1. Great Leader
   2. Yo-Me-Kol-Lick
   3. One Who Looked at the Stars

   Answer

   
   

   Lewis's dog-a huge Newfoundland animal that weighed about 160 pounds-

   1. Followed him everywhere and lived with Meriwether in St. Louis until he died at the age of 15 years.
   2. Was named Seaman and he loved to retrieve birds and animals that were killed and landed in the water. He was stolen by the Indians that lived near the Columbia River.
   3. Disappeared in Montana on the way East.

   Answer

   
   

   Name two of the three most difficult parts of the expedition.

   1. Months of traveling up the Missouri
   2. The three-plus weeks of portage at the Great Falls in Montana
   3. The months they had to stay along the Clearwater in the Spring of 1806
   4. The struggle crossing the Lolo Trail in deep snow and cold weather without food
   5. The winter at Fort Mandan in North Dakota

   Answer

   
   

   Where did the Corps of Discovery cross the Continental Divide the first time?

   1. At the headwaters of the Missouri up-stream from the Beaverhead and west of Dillon, Montana
   2. During the difficult portage adjacent to the Falls of the Missouri
   3. Crossing on the Lolo Trail

   Answer

   
   

   How many people traveled Westward when the expedition left the Mandan Fort including Sacagawea, Jean Baptiste and Charbonneau?

   1. 27
   2. 33
   3. 42
   4. 58

   Answer

   
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