(funky music)
(upbeat instrumental music)
- Ah Captain Lewis, President Jefferson's waiting.
- Ah, thank you.
Mr. President!
- Our country is small, Captain Lewis.
You've only to look at the map.
Our 16 states are surrounded
by foreign powers, unknown lands.
Here is British North America,
and this region here is, now, is New Spain,
and to the south, it's Spanish Florida,
and to the northwest, the territory of Oregon,
which is claimed by Spain,
as well as Great Britain, and even by Russia.
- Oh. - Here's the vast
territory of French Louisiana.
Over 100 years ago, LaSalle explored it,
but the west is still unknown.
- They say the territory is desolate, no interest.
- That's precisely why I'm interested
in knowing what is there.
For instance, are the rivers navigable?
Do they lead to the Pacific for commerce?
Lewis, are you disposed to exploring the region?
- I'd be delighted.
What an adventure!
- You realize it's dangerous.
It is said that there are wild animals and fierce tribes.
You will take 20 well-armed men with you,
but always remember you are going there as friends.
- The American president was unaware the same moment
that the ambassador of France
was actually buying that territory.
- Buying it?
- Cost a lot.
- Yeah, it has to be the greatest property deal ever.
200 million acres at a only a few cents per acre.
Yes, well, they didn't know it at the time,
so Captain Lewis' mission was to explore,
move please, the totally unknown land.
Now, the Louisiana Territory,
three times bigger than France.
(cows mooing)
(horse galloping)
(inspirational music)
- Master, Master, this letter, it came for you, sir.
- Oh well, York, it's very good news.
(horse galloping)
(neighing)
- My dear!
- Listen my dear, my friend, Meriwether Lewis,
wants me to accompany him.
- You're leaving again, William?
Very well, but I want you back
for the ball that Saturday night.
- No, that is, Lewis supposes that with luck,
we should make it back in three years time.
- So long?
(screaming)
- York, you're joining the expedition, come on!
- Ah, yes Master, giddy-up.
- That's it!
Now the Louisiana Territory is a part of America,
and now, let's find out what we purchased.
(happy upbeat music)
- Monsieur Drouillard
will be your interpreter for the Indians.
He knows the region well.
- At least up to Yellowstone.
(barking and squawking)
(chuckling)
- [William] What are all these bits and pieces?
- Those? (laughs)
Well, my latest invention.
A prefabricated craft.
- A boat?
And you really think it will float?
- I hope it does.
Anyway, we'll soon find out.
So.
Hoist the sail, away anchor.
- [Crowd] Bye, buh bye.
- [Girl] Bye Daddy.
(water splashing)
- That's the Indians own fire.
There look, see?
Over there.
And there.
Oh my dear, so many.
They are very numerous.
They are the Teton Sioux and they are pirates.
Stay ready just in case.
I will try to speak to them.
(speaking in foreign language)
We will pow-wow with them.
(Native American music)
(gasping)
- A bit of magic's always useful.
(frightened gasps)
(Cackling) - Way to go.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Hey, smoking is very unhealthy.
- Yes, but in the states,
you and we smoke eh the peace pipe.
Or it won't be terribly healthy for us either.
- Yeah.
(chuckles)
(coughing)
- York, the gifts.
- Quite a load.
- This is for you, Great Chief.
- Ah. (chuckles)
- Oh. - Here.
(loud sniffling)
- He does not want it.
He says the alcohol no good medicine.
It make men crazy.
(grunting)
He's another chief and he is jealous.
He wants the gifts we gave the Big Chief.
(grunting) (cackling)
(applauding)
(fire crackling)
That is their buffalo dance.
Tomorrow the hunt, it is quite interesting.
(cheerful music)
(speaking in foreign language)
(buffalo mooing)
(sighing happily)
(speaking in foreign language)
(battle crying)
(fearful gasping)
(grunting)
- Whoa. (grunting)
Whew.
(speaking in foreign language)
- Those are Americans, they are farmers.
Once they were a very large tribe
but small pox almost wiped them out.
It is good to see them.
(grunting)
(speaking in foreign language)
- [All] Why him?
- [Woman] Kemosabe.
(speaking in foreign language)
(gasping)
(giggling)
- We need a winter camp.
- Just a bit farther, the Mandan are quite friendly.
But when we get there, well, it is
as far as I've ever gone.
- There is a big canoe coming.
White men and a black one.
- White men?
They always have money.
(sputtering)
- You are welcome.
My mates will help you build your village.
You will stay in our hut.
- We will explore the source of the Missouri.
Then go down to the ocean.
- But no one has gone there.
We don't know what it's like.
- Mine is the Shoshone tribe.
They live far up on the Missouri.
The tribes and their languages, I know all of them.
- Well, would you like to come?
- Oh yes, I would like to.
Only, I need the permission of Charbonneau.
He bought me, ask him.
- He owns you? - Yes.
- Yes my own tribe, one day, sold me to him.
- Monsieur Charbonneau!
- Yes?
- Um, we would like a bird woman, your wife,
to come with us as an interpreter.
Would you agree to this?
- Well, only if I come.
- Oh, do you know the region?
- Like the back of my hand.
- Well then, you're going along.
- It's a long expedition and might cost you a lot.
- [Meriwether] How much?
- $500.
- Truly you drive a hard bargain.
Quite a sum.
- I accept.
- After two days journey the river divides.
We take the branch on the right.
There you must give up your large boat
because of the rapids, it will not go through.
- So what do we do?
- [Sacagawea] We must in small canoes.
Great White will lend you two.
With the ones you have it will be enough.
(crowd shouting goodbyes)
(rhythmic upbeat music)
(grunting)
(cackling)
(growling)
(gun firing)
- Go on, jump.
- I can't bear it when this happens.
(shouting)
(water splashing)
(gurgling)
- Let's explore the place, want to?
(barking)
(gun firing)
- They have held it but these creatures,
they are prairie dogs.
So they are called, it's not really dogs.
- They're more like squirrels.
Here, I'll take this one back.
(hooves clomping)
(barking)
(high pitched whistling)
(laughing)
(water crashing)
We can stay here near the mountains.
- Can't take the canoes with us.
We must hide them in the forest.
And we will bury a lot of supplies.
- Mm-hmm.
- You too scared of a little work?
- Hey, hey watch it will ya?
Come on, that's enough, ow.
- Across there, it looks possible.
- That way looks good.
- No, we go neither way.
We are in Shoshone country.
My people, I know the passage.
We must go around that big rock.
(grunting)
(snake hissing)
(roaring)
- [Teacher] And so, after a year of traveling,
here they are at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains
with peaks so high no man had ever crossed them.
- Now we'll need horses.
- My Shoshone tribe lives there.
There are horses.
- Good, we'll buy some.
- Or we'll steal them. (chuckling)
- Oh no, we won't.
We come as friends, understand?
- You must shake a blanket as a sign of friendship.
And to say white man, our word is
(speaking in foreign language)
- Let's go.
(snoring)
- Here they come.
The Shoshone.
(speaking in foreign language)
- They come here in peace.
- Tab-ba-bone, tab-ba-bone.
- He says they are white men.
- Not true, that one there, he is not white.
They speak with forked tongue.
- What made them go away?
- They never saw a white man.
Ha.
(shouting)
- Oh no, wait.
(battle crying)
(horses galloping and neighing)
- Halt.
(grunting)
- We have come with a message of peace and friendship.
From your white brothers of the great American nation.
(lip smacking)
- Cameahwait, brother.
It's been a long time.
They need horses, can you supply them?
He agrees but they are poor.
You have to pay them.
Yes Chief, all right.
For that old horse I'll give you
one buckskin shirt and a knife.
(grunts)
Just one rifle, I won't pay more.
The price keeps going up, let's quit.
(water crashing)
Much farther to the top?
- I am not sure.
No man's ever gone up there.
(neighing)
(gasping)
- Keep holding on.
You have to keep moving or you'll freeze.
We'll make a nice fire.
(teeth chattering)
- There's not game and we've run out of food.
- Well, nothing to do now but die, I guess.
- What do we do now?
- Well...
(baby gurgling)
I've had worse.
- I welcome all of you to our village.
(laughs)
(speaking in foreign language)
(snoring)
- Ah no.
- Two days from here is the river flowing in a great pond.
They will aide us in making canoes.
- The great pond, hmm.
- The Great Southern Sea, Pacific you call it.
- No need for boats, I invented one.
I forgot, come, I'll show you.
(light music)
Here.
There's our boat.
It can carry ten people
along with all of our baggage.
- We ride in that?
- Sure it will float?
- Us and our baggage?
You've made the joke?
- All aboard.
(grunting)
- There, you see?
- I see all right.
- [All] Oh.
- According to my calculations it works.
- Let's use theirs.
They've got canoes that are safer.
- [Crowd] Bye.
- Look there.
(cheering)
(water gurgling)
- This will be dangerous.
We camp.
- No, we row down.
- I bet one sum on the boat on the right.
- Two sum on the left.
- I'll raise you four.
- You call the bet.
- The one on the right.
- The one on the left.
(cheering)
I win, yes.
- You lost.
Your boat lost.
- Here we are.
- What strange heads.
- Look at that, I mean, their heads are round.
Doesn't look too good, a round head.
(laughing)
- They are the Wanapam.
Flatheads for them are considered the height of fashion.
They start flattening a baby's head right at birth.
And the head always stays flat.
- Curious custom. - Oh.
- That way.
(barking)
(water crashing)
- We go over?
- It'll be safer if we do a portage.
- And this?
- Go over.
(grunting)
- [All] Whoa!
(sighing)
- That was cool.
Seaman, where are you, Seaman?
My dog, Seaman's disappeared.
Seaman! (laughs)
(fiddle music)
(thunder crashing)
It's called the Pacific.
It's not peaceful now.
- All the same, we made it.
- This was always my dream.
- Give me your knife.
(metal rasping)
- Here.
(waves crashing)
- Lewis and Clark had found the Northwest Passage,
a land route to the Pacific.
They were men of goodwill
and they promised the Indian tribes
in the name of the Americans peace and friendship
for all time, but that peace wasn't to last long.
(rhythmic music)