The Lewis & Clark Expedition: A Uniquely American Story

The epic journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, along with the “Corps of Discovery,” remains a great story 200 years later. Exploring the newly-purchased Louisiana Territory for a route to the Pacific Ocean, the group traveled more than 8,000 miles in two years and four months. This well-scripted production not only conveys the sense of adventure required to hook easily-bored students, but also gives Sacagawea, the teenaged Shoshone wife of a French-Canadian trader, the credit she richly deserves, in addition to profiling several other members of the party. One of the most interesting is York Clark, William Clark's African-American slave, who was freed five years after the journey. In the forward-looking democratic group, both York and Sacagawea were given votes (60 years before African-American men were legally allowed to vote, and more than 110 years before women's suffrage), indicating the esteem with which the Corps regarded the two. Unfortunately, there are some minor production problems: floating blocks of graphics on chapter headings sometimes freeze for a second or two, many of the musical cues are too obviously contemporary and inappropriate, and some of the re-enactors on the Clearwater River are clearly wearing baseball hats and sunglasses (dude! L&C should have been so lucky!). Still, the two 20-minute segments on the program are very good overall, and are backed by solid map graphics and a wide variety of illustrations. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (R. Reagan)