Lewis and Clark: An American Journey.
After many hardships and negotiating Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with the help of the Shoshones got their men, quaintly dubbed the "Corps of Discovery-, across the Rocky Mountains and descended the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. By doing this Lewis and Clark not only provided their countrymen with a wealth about the land they traveled but also staked a claim for the United States for the Oregon Territory. In this Essay we will discuss how Lewis' leadership qualities such as wit, confidence, and diplomacy helped him and his men cross the Bitterroots.
One great leadership quality that Lewis encompassed was his keen wit. One example of this would be when Lewis was trying to get a band of the Shoshone Indians to cross the Lemhi pass with him to meet with Clark and the rest of the expedition. The Indians however did not move because of a few persons who suggested that Lewis was in league with the enemies and that this was just a ruse to decoy the warriors into an ambush. Lewis then told them that among white men it was considered disgraceful to lie or entrap an enemy by falsehood. He then went on to challenge their manhood by saying, "I still hope that there are some among you that are not afraid to die.""(Ambrose, 128). Following this speech he was able to get six warriors to join followed soon after by half a dozen men and three women making a total sixteen Indians.
Another great leadership quality that Lewis frequently showed was confidence. A good example of this is when Lewis is discussing a route across the Rocky Mountains with Cameahwait, the chief of the Shoshones. He says that there was a tribe by the name of Nez Percés who cross the Rockies to the Missouri River buffalo country to hunt each year but that the route is a bad one that is almost impassable. In hearing this though Lewis is perfectly satisfied that if the Indians can cross it then so can his men.