Sacagawea
~1788–1812 · Lemhi Shoshone (Idaho) · Early American Republic
Known for: Shoshone woman who guided the Lewis and Clark Expedition while carrying her infant son
Sacagawea was kidnapped from her Shoshone people around age 12 by Hidatsa raiders and sold to French-Canadian fur trader Toussaint Charbonneau, who she married. She joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition at Fort Mandan, six weeks after giving birth to her son Jean-Baptiste.
She was invaluable—identifying edible plants, recognizing landmarks, and signaling peaceful intent to Native nations simply by being a woman with a baby. She showed remarkable courage when a boat nearly capsized, saving irreplaceable supplies. Her death date is debated—either 1812 at about age 24, or possibly the 1880s on the Wind River Reservation.
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