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During their wintering at Fort Clatsop in 1805, Lewis and Clark had time to reflect on what they had achieved thus far on their journey. The primary mission as designed by President Thomas Jefferson was to find the most practical commercial route from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. It was essential that Lewis and Clark establish good relations with the Indians to ensure a successful trade system. They would discover upon their return that most of the tribes above the Platte River were once again at war with one another. Meanwhile the Chinook, the strongest tribe of the lower Columbia, seemed uninterested in engaging the Americans. The Corps of Discovery had not yet encountered the Blackfoot and Crow, the two most powerful and dangerous tribes along the upper Missouri. The captains were discovering that the ancient animosities of the Indian nations died hard and could not be extinguished with a few trinkets and seemingly unrealistic promises of peace and protection from the “Great Father” back east. Find out more about the expedition’s time at Fort Clatsop and Lewis and Clark’s plan to establish Indian relations, in this week’s blog post. Visit https://www.americanacorner.com/blog/lewis-and-clark-fort-clatsop . Image courtesy of the Library of Congress. #history #americanhistory #ushistory