The Louisiana Purchase
Etching out modern Montana
Despite the presence of Native Americans for at least a century, the lands of modern Montana were placed in European (or colonial) hands after the April 30, 1803 signing of the monumental Louisiana Purchase.
While the Crow, Blackfoot, Cheyenne and other nations etched their place in Montana, the land was claimed by France, under Napoleon. That was, of course, until Robert Livingston, James Monroe and Barebe Marbois signed the Purchase in Paris.
The Louisiana Purchase was seen as the most important diplomatic move by the United States in its short existence at the time. The agreement, struck because of France’s revitalized interest in more localized imperial expansion, greatly increased the country’s western territories. Although California, Texas and other areas remained in Spanish hands, the move westward had begun.
Lewis and Clark
Long before the comic-book Lois and Clark in the pages of Superman , there was the explorative tandem of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Their task, one of the most difficult since Columbus navigated the unknown Atlantic waters, was to travel to the Pacific coast and then back. The expedition itself was the brainchild of President Thomas Jefferson, who wished to learn more about the rivers, landscapes and people that currently populated the newly acquired territory.
This made the venture extraordinarily dangerous, a fact that left Jefferson hesitant in assigning it. Captain Lewis was selected to head the expedition, which was dubbed shortly thereafter as the “Corps of Discovery.” Clark held the inferior rank of Second Lieutenant, a fact Lewis kept hidden from the accompanying members of the group (some 10 to 12 men).
Although the group’s journey began in 1804, it wasn’t until July of 1806 that they reached Montana. Even then, it was only half the corps, with Clark exploring the Yellowstone River while Lewis continued instead to the Marias.
Clark’s most reported action in Montana was his climbing of the sandstone pillar overlooking the Yellowstone and vista beyond. As a credit to Sacagawea, a Native woman who had guided them to that point, Clark named the pillar after her son, Pompey. Although the name was changed in 1814, Clark’s inscription on the wall remains there, evidence of his touching the Montana landscape.
Not all of William Clark’s adventures in Montana were pleasant experiences, however. The group attached to him was forced to flee the Blackfoot after an encounter that ended in the death of two Natives. After about 100 miles, they were subsequently robbed of their horses by a Crow tribe.
Although Lewis survived Montana’s rough backcountry with his life, the captain’s encounters with the Native population are evidence of the aboriginals’ strong defense of their culture against an expanding colonial nation.
