Last updated: October 29, 2023
Lesson Plan
Gifts and Trading
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Math,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 90 Minutes
- Thinking Skills:
- Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
What is the purpose of trading?
What trade items are important?
Objective
Students will be able to identify:
• What the explorers wanted in exchange for the trade items
• Where and how the explorers obtained supplies outside the area where Euro-Americans had settled.
• Which trade items were the most important once they reached the lower Columbia region
Background
The expedition members knew they could not bring everything with them they would need for such a long trip. Along the way they would need to buy food, information, guide and interpretation services and even transportation, such as canoes and horses. United States money would not be valued by people who lived beyond the Mississippi and the United States, so the explorers brought useful items to trade with these people. About two-thirds of the supplies brought on the Lewis and Clark Expedition were trade goods and gifts for the American Indians who lived along the explorers’ route. Among these trade goods were: pipe tomahawks, tobacco, fish hooks, combs, sewing supplies, beads, cooking utensils, items of clothing, tools, cloth and knives.
Note: A detailed list of the trade items for the student’s use may be found on the handout What Will You Take for That?
By the time the Corps of Discovery arrived at the Pacific Ocean, they had been traveling for eighteen months and had used up a great deal of their supply of trade goods and presents. Unfortunately for the explorers, the American Indians in the area—the Chinook, Clatsops and Killamooks (now the Nehalem people)—were all shrewd traders. These people had been practicing the art of barter for many years, with each other, other tribes and then with the crews of European or American trade ships traveling up and down the coast. As a result of having many opportunities to trade, these people didn’t understand why the explorers weren’t willing or able to pay the prices they were used to receiving from the trade ships. Consequently they were harder to trade with than expected and charged more for the items they were willing to trade.
The most purchasing power was provided by strings of glass beads; something the Corps of Discovery had only in short supply. In his journals, Clark notes that the tribes valued blue beads most of all, and white beads second.[1] These high value items –along with tobacco and iron tools—were the only things the Clatsop were interested in trading for, much to Clark’s disappointment.[2]
While at Fort Clatsop, the Corps of Discovery traded less valuable items for food to add variety to their diet of elk. Wappato roots, fish, dried berries and whale blubber were some of the items the American Indians had to trade. The Captains were able to purchase these for brass armbands and rings, scrap metal, fish hooks, and blue cloth.[3]
In addition to items needed to survive, the explorers frequently traded with the American Indians for items they wanted to take back to the United States for President Jefferson. They were especially interested in—both for practical wearing and to show to the president—the unique rain hats worn by the coastal tribes. These hats were made of woven cedar bark. Captain Lewis found these especially fascinating, and he ordered several hats from the Clatsop, probably in exchange for those same lesser trade goods –scrap metal, fishhooks, and cloth.
One item the explorers desired were the beautiful, dense sea otter pelts worn by the local people. On January 17, 1806 Lewis recorded that one visiting chief wore a robe made of three sea otter pelts. Captain Lewis offered knives and large quantities of red and white beads for the robe, but the chief would only accept blue beads. The Corps of Discovery had few blue beads left, so Lewis traded away Sacagawea’s own blue beaded belt for the robe.[4] Life during the winter at Fort Clatsop might have been much easier for the Corps of Discovery if the journey hadn’t taken so long and if they’d had an adequate supply of trade goods.
[1] William Clark, January 14, 1806.
[2] William Clark, December 2, 1805.
[3] William Clark, December 3; 29; 31, 1805.
[4] Meriwether Lewis, January 17, 1806.
Preparation
Print or show the handouts:
- What Will You Take for That?
- Corps of Discovery Trade Items
- American Indian Trade Goods
- Gifts and Trading Items Questions
Materials
Download What Will You Take For That?
Download Lewis and Clark Trade Items
Download Native American Trade Items
Procedure
1. Go back over the journal quotes in the Background information with the students and have them identify what the American Indians traded to Lewis and Clark and what the explorers gave in return.
2. Divide the class into groups of pairs. One of each pair will be Captain Lewis, the other an American Indian. Those representing Captain Lewis will use items shown on the handout Corps of Discovery Trade Items and those representing the American Indian will use the handout American Indian Trade Goods. After 15 minutes, have the students trade roles and continue trading for another 15 minutes. Before they begin, explain the following information:
- Captain Lewis needed the following items for survival:
…horses and canoes to carry supplies as they travel
…firewood for fires to cook food, for light to see by, and for warmth
- Although the tightly-woven rain hats weren’t necessary for survival
- These hats were so unique President Jefferson would want samples brought back
- The American Indians would have liked the trade items
…The items could be traded for something needed more from other trading partners.
- The explorers badly needed what the American Indians were willing to trade.
- The American Indians might want, but didn’t necessarily need what the explorers wanted to trade
Assessment Materials
. Have students answer the questions on the handout Gifts and Trading Items Questions