Toussaint charbonneau biography

His performance during the journey was mixed: Meriwether Lewis called him "a man of no peculiar merit", [ 12 ] and many historians have painted Charbonneau in a distinctly unfavorable light. One of the most well-known anecdotes about Charbonneau is the incident with the "white pirogue. Charbonneau panicked and nearly capsized the boat, which would have meant the loss of valuable equipment and papers.

It was only with the help of his wife, Sacagawea, that these important items were saved. On August 14, , he struck Sacagawea in a fit of anger and was reprimanded by Clark. This occasion, in addition to committing rape earlier in his life, gave Charbonneau a bad reputation. Charbonneau, however, did make several contributions to the success of the expedition.

He was helpful when the expedition encountered French trappers from Canada and he was a cook; his recipe for boudin blanc a sausage made from bison meat was praised by several members of the party. Charbonneau and his family stayed with the Lewis and Clark expedition until August He even asked if it was possible for Jean Baptiste to stay with the expedition to be raised by Clark.

Clark offered to set up Charbonneau and his family in St. Louis after the expedition. Charbonneau initially declined Clark's offer, as he preferred life with the Mandan and Hidatsa. However, the family relocated to St. Louis in so that Jean Baptiste could be educated. Charbonneau bought land from Clark and briefly took up farming. He gave it up after a few months, selling the land back to Clark for dollars.

Brackenridge, an explorer headed up the Missouri River. During this time, Sacagawea was pregnant and gave birth to a girl named Lisette. Shortly after the birth, Sacagawea died on December 20, Lisette was taken back to St. Louis to live with Jean Baptiste. The following year Charbonneau signed over formal custody of his son Jean Baptiste and daughter Lisette to William Clark.

During the period of —, Charbonneau also worked for the Upper Missouri Agency's Indian Bureau a federal agency as a translator. He may have gained this position by the patronage of William Clark, who was from the governor of the Missouri Territory ; upon Clark's death, Charbonneau's employment with the government came to an abrupt halt.

Entries by Themes Browse curated collections of entries. In the Classroom. Staff and Board. Donate Donors. Federal Tax ID Close modal View Source. Zoom image. Lewis and Clark Expedition map. Sacagawea Sacagawea was a member of the Agaideka Lemhi Shoshone, who lived in t…. William Clark William Clark is indelibly connected to Oregon in many ways, some obvio….

Charbonneau applied for a job as a Hidatsa Minnetaree interpreter but Lewis and Clark were not very impressed with him. In the interview he mentioned he had two Shoshone wives, aware of the importance of creating a good relationship with the Shoshone people Lewis and Clark nevertheless hired Charbonneau.

Toussaint charbonneau biography

Their intention was for him to take one of his Shoshone wives as a Shoshone-Hidatsa interpreter. On March 11, Charbonneau was hired. This is the journal entry by Clark:. Some explenation has taken place which Clearly proves to us the fact, we give him to night to reflect and deturmin whether or not he intends to go with us under the regulations Stated.

The following day, March 12, Charbonneau declined the job offer. Regulations of his employment with the Corps dictated that aside from interpreting he had to perform duties that all other men in the expedition were expected to perform such as standing regular guard. Five days later Charbonneau apologized for his behavior and accepted the conditions of his employment becoming the oldest member of the expedition at 38 years old.

The expedition departed from Fort Mandan on April 7, Charbonneau took Sacagawea and his 55 day old son Jean Baptiste. Almost immediately after departure Charbonneau proved to be a great cook but a poor swimmer. Toussaint Charbonneau - abt. Toussaint Charbonneau. Brother of Marguerite Charbonneau. Died about at about age 72 in Washburn, North Dakota.

Profile last modified 12 Jul Created 12 Sep Toussaint Charbonneau was involved in the westward expansion of the USA. Westward Ho! Sponsored Search by Ancestry. Search Records. DNA Connections It may be possible to confirm family relationships. If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA. Images: 3 Lewis and Clark. Public domain historic photos.

Comments: 14 [hide] [show]. Login to post a comment. Doug Tabor.