Lewis & Clark and the Quest for the Northwest Passage 32 x 40" Print
Ultra Limited Edition (5 total) Lewis & Clark and the Quest for the Northwest Passage 32 x 40 inch print on elegant 310 gsm matte paper with a half inch border.
Each print is signed, numbered and includes a certificate of authenticity.
As was typical of the time, much was documented about the caucasian members of the expedition. Virtually no information on the intrepid female Native American child who served as their guide, or the African American man who frequently accompanied William Clark on his missions exists.
Historians have carefully combed through the accounting and pay ledgers for the Corps of Discovery, but found no clues to help identify the persons in question. This was especially perplexing to Nathan Shoemaker, the key forensic accountant for the Legacy and Preservation division of the United States Revenue Stewardship. “I can’t tell you how many times peeking at old pay ledgers gives us all the insight we need to fill in the gaps in any given situation under investigation,” Shoemaker said, but here he was proven wrong.
“I was convinced we’d gather some information about these two individuals, but there’s no financial record of them whatsoever, which is plain weird. We can romanticize the discovery of the Northwest Passage now, but back then it was hard work! I can’t imagine anyone doing it for free, I mean, why would you? It’s possible they were paid under the table, but that’s VERY contradictory to what we know about both Lewis and Clark. Nothing suggests they would have made an arrangement like that, it just isn’t them.” It’s a mystery that’s been on Shoemaker’s mind for over 25 years. “The girl was supposed to have been fairly young,” he noted, “maybe it was an internship type of situation or something. Basic labor in exchange for work experience or bird watching opportunities… I just don’t know.”