History That Doesn't Suck - 21: Thomas Jefferson Presents: Lewis & Clark’s Excellent Expedition

Episode Date: August 6, 2018

“Damn sugar, damn coffee, damn colonies!” This is the story of Thomas Jefferson building an “empire of liberty.” As the new US President, Tommy’s lowering taxes while cutting the deficit, trimming the government, fighting off Federalist judges, and an increasingly Republican America is loving it. Oh, the Sage of Monticello is also fighting off pirates; brilliantly purchasing the Louisiana Territory from a very serious potential enemy (Napoleon Bonaparte); as well as sending William Clark and Meriwether Lewis to explore the west. Seriously, what can’t the Virginian philosopher do? Well, it’s not all smooth sailing. Can Tom’s former newspaper attack dog, James Callender, take the President down with a vindictive article about him and Sally Hemings? Meanwhile, will William (Bill) and Meriwether survive a rugged wilderness and disease--even with Sacagawea's help? Tom’s doubling the size of the United States and seeing to its exploration. Welcome to a larger American Republic--to the start of an “empire of liberty.” ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Is that Naughty Lister? Naughty Lister? Dwayne Johnson. We got snowmen! Chris Evans. I might just go back to the car. Let's save Christmas. I'm not gonna say that.

Say it. Alright. Let's save Christmas. There it is. Only in theaters November 15th. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content,

and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. Lieutenant William Clark attentively examines the plants around him. The long-faced, 30-something Virginian with auburn hair is a man of inquiry who knows his description of this flora, 2,000 miles away from the nation's capital in Washington, D.C., yet now the edge of the newly doubled-in-size United States,

will be the first of its kind for American citizens back east. I'm sure he feels the burden of his charge, but also the excitement. William Clark's location. Hold up, who are we kidding? We're going to bond with him. Let's call him Bill. Bill's location is near what Americans will later call Great Falls, Montana. He's accompanied by his interpreter, a French-Canadian explorer named Toussaint Chabonneau, and Toussaint's wife, a Shoshone woman named Sacajawea. She's also carrying their four-month-old son. His name's Jean-Baptiste, but Bill's given him a nickname, Pompey.

But as they enjoy the scenery and Toussaint looks for something to shoot for dinner, Bill notices dark, menacing thunderclouds moving in. In fact, they're kind of moving in fast. The group decides to head back. As they walk, rain soon falls and strong winds begin to blow. Now, Bill's mindful of Sacagawea. She's not only trying to stay on her feet in this weather, an incredibly challenging task for all the adults, she's carrying her baby. And these winds are strong enough they could blow her into the Missouri River. They've got to find shelter in this wilderness, fast!

Scouting the surroundings, our young lieutenant notices a ledge in a nearby ravine. With little Pompey in tow, the three adults take cover there to wait out the storm in safety and to stay dry. Toussaint unloads his heavy gear and examines what's wet. Sacagawea unties her crying baby from her back. Carefully, she lays both little Pompey and his clothes on the cradle board to dry off. Convinced the storm will quickly pass, Bill keeps his powder horn in hand as he examines

his rather large compass to find a way back to camp. But suddenly, thunder cracks and the heavens open in a new and menacing way. Water quickly cascades down the hillsides, carrying mud and rocks and filling the narrow ravine. It's soon clear that their dry sanctuary is turning into a death trap. A panicked Toussaint scrambles up the hillside to safety, leaving all of his gear to the water's mercy. His young Indian wife snatches up little Pompey as this now powerful flash flood whisks away the cradleboard and all his clothes. Desperately, Sacagawea tries to climb the steep hillside like her husband but with one hand grasping her precious freezing baby boy she's struggling to escape meanwhile the adrenaline fear and numbing cold of the rising water causes bill to fumble and drop his compass as he tries

to pack up it disappears in the rising current there's no time to look for it with his hopefully still dry shot pouch in his left hand, he wades through the water that's already up to his knees and helps Sacagawea gain a foothold in the slippery, wet, muddy hill. Toussaint, take her hand! Help! Bill screams above the tarantula rain, running water, and piercing cries of the four-month-old baby. The cable-claw frontiersman grasps at his wife's only free, soaked, slippery hand, but her wet, numb, wrinkled fingers can't hold on. As the water swirls and a little Pompey squeals, they keep trying, and finally, Toussaint manages to seize Sacagawea's exhausted hand.

Bill's now waist-deep in the mud-filled, current-ripping ravine. Still clinging to his shot pouch, he starts climbing. The lieutenant leans hard into the muddy wall of dirt to keep from falling as he pushes Sacagawea ahead of him. Even with Toussaint helping from above, holding her baby is just too much. Sacagawea's feet keep sliding away from the soaked, eroding earth. And how much longer can Toussaint hold on? How much strength is left in his aching arms as he attempts to pull up his soaked-to-the-bone wife? The rain now turns to hail as Bill and Sacagawea clutch the ravine's muddy wall.

Little Pompey sobs, and the gushing water beneath them reaches a depth of 10 feet. One slip, they're dead. The stakes are high, and we'll find out how this crisis ends in a bit. But first, we need to set up Lewis and Clark's excellent expedition. To do that, we have to understand our new and third U.S. president who's making this happen, Thomas Jefferson. And as you'll see, he enjoys success early in his administration as he cuts taxes and the government, runs a budget surplus, orders successful military action against pirates, and otherwise manages to remold Federalist America into a Democratic-Republican America while doubling the country's size.

But we're also going to face some of the harder parts of Tom's legacy, like the relations between him and his slave, Sally Hemings. I hope that, whatever you may know and think about this part of Tom's life, you'll come away with a richer understanding of him and Sally. Once we've done all that, we'll see the Louisiana Purchase, head west with Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea, then head to Jersey, because Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are throwing down.

It's a busy hour, so here we go. Let's meet our new president, Thomas Jefferson. It's March 4th, 1801, the day of Tom's inauguration as the third U.S. president. Things get started that morning with the firing of cannon. Well, I guess you could say things started at 4 a.m. if you count outgoing U.S. President John Adams catching his coach out of D.C. Now, he is genuinely in a rush to get back to his beloved wife, Abigail, as they mourn the recent passing of their son, Charles. But also,

he isn't heartbroken about not watching his ex-vice president and frenemy take the oath. Anyhow, at 10 a.m., riflemen from Alexandria parade to celebrate their fellow Virginian taking office. Come noon, a plain-dressed Tom walks. That's right, no carriage for this Republican man of the people, walks to the newly built D.C. Capitol building. Soldiers salute and more cannon fire out as he enters. Taking his place in the packed Senate chamber, our red-headed, blue-eyed Virginian philosopher takes the sacred oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. It's administered by a political rival,

his Virginian cousin, the Federalist and now Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Marshall. Oh, they must have such awkward family reunions. But maybe that won't be so awkward moving forward, because as president, Tommy is conciliatory. After the oath, he delivers a beautiful inaugural address, calling for an end of the fight-to-the-death politics

we've seen between his Republicans and Alexander Hamilton's Federalists since episode 15. I know we've all heard that from politicians, especially just after they've won office. But this is some touching stuff. Listen to him, if you can. You better be seated close to him. People in the back of the chamber today can't hear the soft-spoken founding father.

Quote, Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists. Close quote. Okay, Tom, look, Alexander's my boy, but I'm going to give it to you. You're softening me up. Now, will Tom live up to that? Well, he's sincere about bearing the hatchet, and he isn't the boogeyman all staunch Federalists see in their nightmares. Personally, I like to picture Eliza Hamilton assuring Alexander that President Jefferson isn't hiding under the bed

before blowing out the candle every night. Yeah, Tom's no extremist. He's a realist. A pragmatist. But let's be clear, he will recalibrate the United States from its thus far Federalist course to a Democratic-Republican one. See, Tom is a man of power. Now, I don't mean that in a megalomaniac sort of way,

but nearly since birth, he's been, as an elite Southern man, responsible for others. Yes, we could equally frame that as having a silver spoon in his mouth. But like Spider-Man's uncle, Tom gets that with great power comes great responsibility. He feels that burden in his personal life, and let's not beat around the bush, I mean as the master of slaves, and in his public life, from a young member of the House of Burgesses to the presidency. Point being, Tom brings a lifetime of experience with power to the White House.

And experience has shown him that in order to affect his high-minded democratic ideals for the good of the people, sometimes the ends justify the means. And he pursues that means like a chess master who sees 10 plus moves ahead, coolly and brilliantly trapping his opponent with minimal sacrifice of his own pieces. By the way, this Virginian does love chess. Within the first year of his presidency, Tom writes to his son-in-law, Thomas Mann Randolph, asking the younger man to mail his favorite chess strategy book to him in D.C. I pray you at this time send me Philidor, that's the name of the author, who of course is French,

no surprise coming from Francophone Tom, which you will find in the book room, second press, on the left from the door of entrance. Okay, so, pragmatic, powerful, purposeful. President Jefferson is all of these things as he moves to defend back in episode 17. And can I just point out that by only using duties to fund the federal government, Tom's kicking it old school. Going all the way back to episode 2, that's the one tax colonial Americans tolerated from Parliament back in the day, remember?

And I doubt Tom cares at all that Alexander Hamilton is probably freaking out that these cuts mean America will take longer to pay down the national debt. For Tom, this is a matter of principle. He's dialing back this intrusive, Federalist-built federal government, which is perfectly consistent with his Republican Party views. And in that same vein, the sage of Monticello is also trimming down. Ready for this? Brace yourself. The federal government itself.

I know, it's crazy. It's like he understands that if he has less tax dollars, maybe, just maybe, he should also decrease the budget. Who is this guy? One of the big cuts is to military spending. Remember that quasi-war that almost broke out during John Adams' presidency? In response to that, Federalist John ramped up the U.S. Army. But that threat is behind us now. Tom's inherited a relatively peaceful America. Given that new reality, Republican Tom isn't abdicating the federal government's constitutional mandate to provide for the common defense. But, as with everything, he wants the states to take the lead.

In this case, that means relying on state militias. He calls, to quote him, a well-disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war till regulars may relieve them. Close quote. Ah, there's the ticket. If war breaks out, then the army can recruit more. But in the meanwhile, he's cutting the army down to size. His administration will also hack away at the Navy and America's diplomatic corps. That last one might seem an odd move for a

former Secretary of State, but remember, Republican Tom's dedicated to a small federal government and states' rights. So all of this is consistent with who he is. Furthermore, his aggressive cuts enable him to run a budget surplus despite having cut taxes. Not to get ahead of ourselves too much, but over the course of Tom's administration, the national debt will drop from $80 million to $57 million. That happens despite new expenditures, like that upcoming Louisiana purchase. And even as he cuts the size of the U.S. Army in 1802, he also establishes a new military academy in New York. You might have heard of it. It's called West Point.

Point being, Tom's cutting the military, but he's being practical, making sure it has ready and able leadership at the same time. During his second term, the strict constitutionalist will look at his budget surplus and propose amending the Constitution to allow Congress to drop cash on transportation and public education. Though such amending won't happen, it shows Tom's pragmatism. He's frugal, pro-small government, but not anti-government. Now before we move on from Tom and the military, let me point out that military action does happen early in his administration. Mediterranean pirates from

the North African coast are pillaging American ships. Known as Barbary pirates, these guys kidnap and enslave about 1 million white Christians from Europe or America between the 16th and 19th centuries. At this specific point, it's pirates from Tripoli, as in, from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli, who are targeting Americans. Their Ottoman governor is demanding tribute from the Jefferson administration, and unless Tommy coughs it up, he'll let his marauders continue to pillage and kidnap American sailors. Well, Tom refuses to kowtow to pirates. Basically, philosopher Tom's the originator of America's we-don't-negotiate-with-terrorists philosophy, and yes, it's for the same reasons.

He knows that tribute paid today encourages tribute demands tomorrow. Instead, Tom uses his executive power and sends a naval squadron to lay the smack down. This is exactly what happens as the USS Enterprise boldly pursues where no American has pursued before. Though not a Kobayashi Maru situation, Captain Andrew Starrett leads his crew to an impressive victory over a Tripolitan ship on August 1st, 1801. This is part of the start of a conflict, sometimes called the Barbary War, that will last until an American victory in 1805. Now let me tell you what Tan does especially brilliantly while managing the start of this conflict.

It's an example of his power-wielding chess master ways. He uses his executive power to get a squadron underway, and after the enterprise's victory, he then goes to Congress and asks for their permission to do what he's already successfully doing. In doing so, Congress feels like he defers to them while he actually does what he wants to do. That's how you use power without looking like you're doing it. And there's nothing more Thomas Jefferson than that. Piles, and I host NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. On our show, we help listeners like you make the most of your finances. I sit down with NerdWallet's team of nerds, personal finance experts in credit cards, banking, investing, and more. We answer your real-world money questions and break down the latest personal finance news. The nerds will give you the clarity you need by

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and breaks it down into a short, entertaining explanation jam-packed with science facts and terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. Now let's shift our attention to the legal world. For starters, you need to know that the previous Congress passed a Judiciary Act in 1801 to let lame-duck President John Adams pack the courts with 16 new Federalist judges. So what does Tommy's Republican-dominated Congress do? It repeals, with his blessing. And while not Tom per se, you need to know that the Republican-dominated Congress also moves to impeach some big-shot Federalist judges. First, we have John Pickering. Serving on New Hampshire's federal district court,

John is known for being drunk and kind of thought to be insane. In other words, he's low-hanging fruit. With votes along party lines in the Senate, John is successfully removed. Congressional Republicans also take aim at a more serious target. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase. Sam is known for being a complete tool towards those who dare to disagree with him. More to the point, he's a hardcore federalist who rants and raves against Republicans from the bench. If he had a Facebook account, he'd definitely be one of those guys who posts political stuff all the time and argues with complete strangers on his friends' posts.

Don't deny it. You know exactly who I'm talking about. Rick. Anyhow, Republicans want to rid the Supreme Court of his influence. And what does Tom think about it? Well, he writes a letter to Maryland Representative Joseph H. Nicholson posing questions that imply Sam should be impeached, but finishing by saying, and I quote, I ask these questions for your consideration. For myself, it is better that I should not interfere. Close quote. Now that example right there takes the cake. That is one of the most Thomas Jefferson moves ever. Obviously, he's totally interfering while making it seem like he isn't. I feel like I just watched Tom move his rook from A1 to A8 as he wryly looks up and says, check. Nonetheless, the more moderate Republicans realize that being a total jerk is not

quite grounds for removal. He's impeached, but ultimately acquitted. Thus, Sam politically lives to rant and rave another day, but all the same, Tom sent the don't tread on me message loud and clear. Still another throwdown over judgeships results in a Supreme Court decision that will profoundly impact the United States forever. The case of Marbury v. Madison. So here's the deal on this. Remember those judges that John Adams nominated on his way out? Well, because they were so last minute, in fact, Republicans call these guys midnight judges, four new judges of the piece for D.C. didn't get their commissions before John left the White House. And playing hardball, Tom's Secretary of State, the father of the U.S. Constitution,

our buddy James Little Jemmy Madison, refuses to hand over the commissions to these Federalists. Damn, that's cold, Little Jemmy. So it's time to fight fire with fire. One of these non-commissioned judges, a dude named William Marbury, sues Little Jemmy for his commission, and the case goes to the Supreme Court. The 1803 ruling is brilliant. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, who I'll remind you is Tom's kin, a Federalist,

and is, in fact, also a midnight judge appointed by the outgoing President John Adams, rules in favor of Jefferson's administration, but not for reasons Tom's gonna like. Okay, stay with me here. In his ruling, James Marshall says James Madison should, perhaps for moral reasons, give William Marbury his commission. But, super important, William is suing under section 13 of the 1789 judiciary act and as john's looking it over he thinks this law gives the supreme court power not found in the constitution therefore he rules that even though william is morally correct in pursuing his judgeship the

supreme court doesn't have the power to force the Jefferson administration to hand over the commission. Mind blown. Is yours? If not, let me lay this out for you. John Marshall just invented judicial review. His ruling sets the precedent that the courts decide if a law is constitutional or not. In 21st century America, this concept will be as American as apple pie and free refills on 44-ounce sodas. But this is when it comes into existence. And here's the part I find entertaining. Tom and James aren't going to fight the ruling. It's in their favor. But at the same time, Chief Justice Marshall just beefed up the powers of his branch of the government, giving his Federalist self the firepower to strike down future laws the Jefferson administration is likely to pass, with which he will not agree.

See what I meant earlier? Brilliant. Hey Tommy, you might just have snatched a knight off the figurative chessboard, but I think your cousin, Marshall, has one word for you. Check. Though not comprehensive, I'd say we've covered some of the bigger items at the start of Tom's first administration. I hope you've noticed the characteristics I pointed out at the start, namely how Tom pursues his small government, states' rights, Republican agenda. Though perhaps ironically, he does this without surrendering any executive power. Yet that makes sense. Tom is a man of power. He trusts

himself with power, which he wields subtly and, as he sees it, deliberately and effectively for the greater good. But now it's time to face some of the harsher realities of his legacy. Let's look at his administration's run-in with Alexander Hamilton, who sees an opportunity to take a crack at his nemesis president. And then it's time for Miss Sally Hemings. Ah, Alex. It's been a while. Let's catch up with him. This once leader of the Federalists briefly thought he'd get new military glory after politicking his way to the head of the U.S. Army under John Adams. But that commission ended before Tom ever even came to office.

Now, General Hamilton is a political has-been. He does remain, however, a brilliant New York lawyer with a successful practice. So when the editor Harry Crowell of the pro-federalist newspaper, The Wasp, gets hit with libel charges for things he's published about Thomas Jefferson, Alex gladly takes the case on a pro bono basis. Now, you should know that Tom prides himself on his love for the free press. In fact, at one point, a minister from Prussia pays Tom a visit and notices a Federalist newspaper in the White House. The only thing more shocking than this was the sage of Monticello's response. Quote,

Put that paper in your pocket, Baron, and should you ever hear the reality of our liberty, our freedom of the press, question, show them this paper and tell them where you found it. Close quote. Yeah, what up now, Barron? Hashtag freedom. Between Tom's kind tolerance of Federalist attacks and his pardoning Republican editors prosecuted under the last administration's hated Sedition Act, Tom looks like the champion of free speech. But like all of us, Tom doesn't walk on water. For as much as he tolerates, he also writes to Pennsylvania Governor McKean on February 13, 1803 to say, quote, I have therefore long thought that a few prosecutions of the most eminent offenders would have a wholesome effect in restoring the integrity of the presses, not a general prosecution, for that would look like persecution. Close quote. Wow, Tom. Guess the ends really do justify the means. Now, Alex loses. The issue is that, under the law of the day, anything untrue is liable, period.

But Alex does give a passionate six-hour speech. I know, it's so Alex, right? Arguing that intent is an important factor too. That to have a truly free press, newspapers must be able to report what they think. In other words, he's defining libel as not just inaccurate, but as inaccurate and malicious. That said, we could also say that Alex wins in the long run. His speech brought tears to the eyes of those present. One described Alex by saying, quote, I never heard him so great, close quote. And later, in 1805, New York will change its state law to agree with Alex's argument. But Tom isn't only having problems with Federalist newspaper men. A ghost from his past has come back to haunt him. James Callender of the Republican newspaper, Aurora.

Oh, do you remember this guy? Yes, he's the one who outed Alexander Hamilton's affair in episode 18. He attacked George Washington. He attacked John Adams. To Republicans, he's just dropping truth bombs. To Federalists, he's a mudslinging sensationalist. And Tom pardons Callender for his Sedition Act conviction. Oh, and interesting side note, Callender's imprisoned in Richmond during Gabriel's rebellion from episode 20. But when the mudslinger doesn't

get reimbursed for his $200 fine, he gets mad. Callender then decides he deserves a government job too. Postmaster of Richmond, Virginia. Tom might have needed this toxic man in the past, but he's not interested in caving to him now. As an act of kindness though, Tom instructs his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to give Calendar 50 bucks. He takes it, but remains hostile and implies that he has some truth bombs about Tom to drop if there isn't more forthcoming. Since we already established that Tom doesn't negotiate with terrorists, I'm sure you're not surprised to learn this extortion effort falls on deaf ears. But Callender's threat wasn't idle. The following year, on September 1st, 1802, Callender takes his revenge.

Publishing in the Richmond Recorder, he tells the world that Tom's slave, Sally, is his concubine. Here's a bit from the article, and I am quoting. Her name is Sally, and the name of her eldest son is Tom. By this wench Sally, our president has had several children. There is not an individual in the neighborhood of Charlottesville who does not believe the story. Tis supposed that at the time when Mr. Jefferson wrote so smartly concerning Negroes,

when he endeavored so much to belittle the African race, he had no expectation that the chief magistrate of the United States was to be the ringleader in showing that his opinion was erroneous, or that he should choose an African stock whereupon he was to descendants. Close quote. Where to begin? First, calendar's kind of a jackass. Wench? Really? But more importantly, let's discuss Tom and Sally's relationship. Let me point out the polar extremes of how 21st century Americans will view this. On the one hand, we have those who focus on the fact that, as a slave, Sally could be little more than a fancy girl, as discussed in the last episode. To put that another way, Tom, as master, can legally compel her to his bed and force himself on her. As such, this crowd views Tom to be blunt as a rapist.

On the other hand, some emphasize the quote-unquote marriage aspects of Tom and Sally. This crowd wants to depict a legitimate relationship in order to vindicate the sage of Monticello. Well, like so many other aspects of American history that get polarized, I think nuance is valuable here. Tom certainly owns Sally. This is not an equitable relationship. That said, many other historians have pointed out that slaves, although owned, are not inanimate objects. They're people. And not all masters are the same. They're people too. So while universally unequal, the power dynamics between a given master and slave will always be unique. As historian Annette Gordon-Reed puts it, and I quote her, though enslaved, Sally Hemings helped shape her life

and the lives of her children, who got an almost 50-year head start on emancipation, escaping the system that had engulfed their ancestors and millions of others. Whatever we may feel about it today, this was important to her. Close quote. I think that's well put. By being with Tom, I too believe that Sally, in love or not, is using what little power she has in her life. And we have some proof of that.

When Tom went to Paris in 1785 as an ambassador, Sally went with him. Being in France, she was free. Tom had no legal recourse to make her go back to Virginia with him. Zero. Zip. Sally only agreed to go back with Tom after exacting some hefty promises from him, including that her children will go free when they turn 21. Now this negotiation doesn't make their relationship equal once they get back to America, but it's certainly noteworthy. And yes, all of Sally's children do ultimately go free. So what do we make of Tom in all of this?

Given the negotiation and Sally's choice to return, I think it's fair to say that calling Tom a rapist is a bridge too far. Nonetheless, we cannot completely acquit him. He knows that this is objectionable to many in his era. Abigail Adams, for instance, certainly has harsh words for him. Perhaps it's best to say that neither of the most extreme views quite tell the whole story. And for that matter, Tom doesn't either. He never answers Callender's accusation, and the matter recedes from public discourse.

Well, now that we've stared down what is perhaps the most challenging aspect of Tom's legacy, it's time to hear about the thing he's most known for as president, the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. First, let's define Louisiana. I'm not talking about the rather average-sized state that will come into existence. The Louisiana Territory is massive, 828,000 square miles that run along most of the Mississippi River's edge to parts of future Colorado and even southern Canada. Crucially, it also includes the city of New Orleans, and as Thomas Jefferson will tell you, whoever controls this port city at the mouth of the Mississippi controls much of the U.S. economy. I quote him,

There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the produce of three-eighths of our territory must pass to market. Close quote. Well, that natural enemy thus far has been Spain, and as a waning empire, it's letting American goods pass through the big easy. But word on the street has it that Spain recently handed the territory over to France through a secret treaty. Crap! What if France, which is far stronger, doesn't want to be cool? Not only would this be tough on America,

but it would force French-loving Tom to fight France. For Tommy, this whole situation sucks. Now again, Tom is a man of power, not weakness. Rather than cower before the might of France, he sends his trustworthy Republican ally and fellow Virginian, James Monroe, to France with the bold instruction to buy New Orleans from the French government, now under the control of First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte. But as bold as this move is, James and the current American minister to France, Robert Livingston, soon learn Napoleon is ready to make a far greater bargain.

He's willing to sell the whole damn Louisiana territory. Now, why would Napoleon give this up? Because he had envisioned goods from the territory supporting France's lucrative plantations in the Caribbean. But a slave named Toussaint Louverture has upended these plans. By the way, I trust that you can keep this Toussaint separate from Sacagawea's husband Toussaint, right? What can I say? It's a popular enough name in the early 19th century French world. Anyhow, inspired by France's own revolutionary ideas, this Toussaint leads a slave rebellion in the French colony of Saint-Domingue,

soon to be known as Haiti, and actually succeeds. Napoleon's pissed. Despite the potential benefits, he figures the cost of retaking this critical Caribbean colony would be too much. Toussaint has ruined his aspirations in the Americas. Damn sugar, damn coffee, damn colonies, a frustrated Napoleon exclaims in January 1803. Like a day trader realizing he has a crappy stock, the French ruler is ready to unload the Louisiana territory cheap and fast. Come April, he writes his minister of finance, François-Babe Marboire, to say,

I renounce Louisiana. It is not only New Orleans that I will cede, it is the whole colony without any reservation. I know the price of what I abandon. I renounce it with the greatest regret. To attempt obstinately to retain it would be folly. Robert Livingston and James Monroe now work out the details with Napoleon's people, which include that XYZ affair rascal, Talleyrand, who we met in episode 18, and come to agree on a cool $15 million for the whole damn thing. When he hears news of the offer back in DC that July, Tom is stunned but elated. He also has a problem. The constitution doesn't exactly authorize him to make this purchase,

but how can he pass this up? This purchase is perhaps the quintessential example of who Tom is. The man of power, the chess player who sees the big picture and the long game, the philosopher of lofty ideals, like strict constitutionalism, who nonetheless gives way to pragmatism, writes to his dear friend James Monroe on August 18, 1803, quote, I infer that the less we say about constitutional difficulties respecting Louisiana, the better. Close quote. Calling on the implied powers doctrine Alexander Hamilton used in episode 16 to convince George Washington a national bank was constitutional, Tom now uses the ideology of his political nemesis to justify the Louisiana Purchase. Like I said, he's pragmatic, so he gives up strict constitutionalism in this case in order to serve the greater good.

Back in 1780, when the Revolutionary War was still raging, Tom wrote to George Rogers Clark, the brother of the Clark we left in the ravine with Sacagawea, to say that, quote, We shall form to the American Union a barrier against the dangerous extension of the British province of Canada and add to the empire of liberty, an extensive and fertile country, thereby converting dangerous enemies into valuable friends. Close quote. You caught that, right? Now, Tom's phrase empire of liberty has, in recent years, been framed as oppressive because, you know, the word empire. Whether you agree with Tom or not, though,

this man of power dreams of a United States having the size and power, so yes, empire, not to oppress its subjects, as he and patriots felt the British Empire had done, but rather to ensure the liberty of its citizens. And more than 20 years after articulating that vision, the Louisiana Purchase effectively ensures his dream has a genuine chance of being realized.

Tom moves queen to E7. Checkmate. But powerful Tom's not about leaving things to chance. He's been planning an exploratory expedition to find new trade routes, as well as learn about plants, animals, and the peoples of the frontier for the last 10 years. About the same time Tom's waiting for congressional approval of the Louisiana Purchase, he also asks Congress to fund this excursion. I mean, he's only asking them to spend $15 million to buy land, so why not spend $2,500 exploring it? Actually, it's going to end up costing $39,000, but I'm getting ahead of

myself. All you really need to know is that Tom asks Meriwether to head up a group of soldiers to trek from St. Louis, Missouri, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether is stoked and hits up his old army buddy, William Clark, who again we're calling Bill, to be his co-captain. They spend the winter of 1803-04 training their men in St. Louis and officially get underway on this most excellent expedition on May 14, 1804. So first, let's get to know the leaders of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which they call the Corps of Volunteers on an Expedition of Northwestern Discovery. Okay, we're not going to torture you with that name today. We'll just call them the Corps of

Discovery. Anyway, military man Bill has seen action, including the Battle of Fallen Timbers that we discussed in episode 17. But he's an explorer at heart, so he serves as the crew's cartographer. And he's great friends with Meriwether Lewis. I know, Meriwether. It's like his parents didn't even love him. Now, this is a military expedition, so I'm sure the men call him Captain Lewis, but you know they're snickering around the campfire. And whether he likes it or not, we are going to call him Meriwether. So Meriwether's from Virginia, and he knows the president pretty well. He has a solid education and military experience from the Whiskey Rebellion.

Together, he and Bill are ready to make a success of this mission. They travel up the Missouri River and reach its confluence with the Knife River in October 1804. And since that means absolutely nothing to you, let me add that this will eventually become North Dakota. About 4,000 Indians, primarily Hidatsas, are wintering here along the two rivers' banks. These people are hospitable to the Corps of Discovery, which makes the decision to camp here an easy one. And it's during this winter's camp, as Meriwether and Bill direct them in and building a weatherproof fort, making a small forge and tanning hides for leather goods, that they meet one particular teenage Indian girl, who I imagine speaks Hidatsa with a Shoshone accent.

Sacagawea. When Johann Rall received the letter on Christmas Day 1776, he put it away to read later. Maybe he thought it was a season's greeting and wanted to save it for the fireside. But what it actually was, was a warning, delivered to the Hessian colonel, letting him know that General George Washington was crossing the Delaware and would soon attack his forces. The next day, when Rawl lost the Battle of Trenton and died from two colonial Boxing

Day musket balls, the letter was found, unopened in his vest pocket. As someone with 15,000 unread emails in his inbox, I feel like there's a lesson there. Oh well, this is The Constant, a history of getting things wrong. I'm Mark Chrysler. Every episode we look at the bad ideas, mistakes, and accidents that misshaped our world. Find us at ConstantPodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Was the Sphinx 10,000 years old? Were there serial killers in ancient Greece and Rome? What were the lives of transgender, intersex, and non-binary people like in the ancient world? We're Jen.

And Jenny. From Ancient History Fangirl. We tell you true stories and tall tales of the ancient world. Sometimes we do it tipsy. Sometimes we have amazing guests on our show. Historians like Barry Strauss, podcasters like Liv Albert, Mike Duncan,

and authors like Joanne Harris and Ben Aronovich. We take you to the top of Hadrian's wall to watch the Roman Empire fall at the end of the world. We walk the catacombs beneath the Temple of the Feathered Serpent under Teotihuacan. We walk the sacred spirals of the Nazca Lines in search of ancient secrets. And we explore mythology from ancient cultures around the world. Come find us at ancienthistoryfangirl.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, before we go any further, we need to address her name. I've been saying Sacagawea. Now, there are three camps when it comes to the pronunciation of her name.

Most scholars today fall into the Harji Sacagawea camp. And that's fine. But since that's not how you or I grew up hearing it, and we don't actually know for sure how she pronounced her name, I'm just going to stick with Sacagawea. That said, I hope she'll forgive me if I am pronouncing her name incorrectly. Anyway, how does Sacagawea end up at a Hadidatsa camp as the wife of a Quebecois fur trader who's working as an interpreter for Americans when she was born to the Lemhi Shoshone tribe? Well, when she was about 12, a band of Hidatsa attacked her people while they were camping near the Three Forks of the Missouri River in what will become Montana.

When she tells Meriwether about the harrowing experience, she says that the Shoshone Braves, quote, mounted their horses and fled as soon as the attack began. The women and children who had been berry picking dispersed, and I was overtaken in the middle of the river, close quote. She lives with the Hidatsas for a few years and learns their language before marrying a French-Canadian trapper, Toussaint Chabonot. As a French and Hidatsa speaker, he hires out as an interpreter when he's not selling beaver pelts. And it's while Sacagawea is pregnant with their first baby that he takes her to the Hidatsa winter camp. He's heard that there are men who need interpreters there.

And Toussaint gets himself hired by the Corps of Discovery. Bill and Meriwether soon realize that Sacagawea speaks Shoshone. Awesome. They know they'll need someone who can communicate with that tribe once they reach the Rocky Mountains. So, while they only officially hire Toussaint, the explorers request that he bring along, quote, one of his wives to interpret the Shoshone language, close quote. Yeah, even though she's super pregnant, they specifically request that she join the expedition. But before they leave the fort in the spring, Sacagawea goes into labor. She's really young, probably only 17 at this point, so things are not progressing

well. One of the other Frenchmen in the camp, René Jussome, suggests a native remedy to Meriwether to help the birth move along. René takes the dried rattle of a rattlesnake, crushes it up in some water, and has Sacagawea drink the concoction. She delivers her baby boy 10 minutes later, around 5 p.m. on February 11, 1805. Meriwether writes, Whether this medicine was truly the cause or not, I shall not undertake to determine. Perhaps this remedy may be worthy of future experiments.

Close quote. I highly doubt any pregnant woman would sign up for that medical study today, but despite the rattlesnake brew, or because of it, Sacagawea and little baby Pompey recover pretty quickly and the Corps of Discovery leaves the fort in April. We now have 33 permanent members of the Corps, including Sacagawea, little Pompey, and Bill's slave, York. Their party has two pirogues, which are small boats with sails and a rudder, as well as six canoes packed with all of their gear and food. Meriwether writes, quote, this little fleet, although not quite so respectable as those of Columbus or Captain Cook, were still viewed by us with as much pleasure as those deservedly famed adventurers

ever beheld theirs. Close quote. And things start out well. Okay, there's a few minor hiccups. Okay, maybe a major hiccup. See, several of the party members choose to walk along the shore of the river each day. I mean, it's spring. The sun's out, a lovely breeze. Why not take a walk along the riverbank and smell the flowers, right? Or maybe they just have to walk because their pirogues and canoes are full of gear. Either way, one day in mid-May, Toussaint and Sacagawea's pirogue is in the lead as Bill and Meriwether are walking along the banks of the Missouri in what will later be Montana. Now, Toussaint is not a great sailor. Meriwether are walking along the banks of the Missouri in what will later be Montana. Now, Toussaint is not a great sailor. Meriwether calls him, quote, perhaps the most timid waterman in the

world. Close quote. So how he came to be at the helm of the small boat is beyond me, but the quid pro quo interpreter manages to keep it together for a while. Then, a sudden wind comes up and blows the vessel sideways. He panics. Instead of following the directions of the boatsman, Cruzat, and, quote, putting her before the wind, close quote, Toussaint swings the boat farther around. Bill and Meriwether can only watch as the sail gets jerked out of the hands of the helmsman, and the boat tips sideways into the choppy river, taking on water. Cut the halyards! Haul in the sail! They shout from the shore, but the winds carry their voices away. Cruzat, who's an excellent sailor by the way,

shouts at Toussaint to take hold of the rudder and right the ship. Toussaint just shouts unintelligible prayers to the sky. Finally, the exasperated sailor threatens to shoot the panicked interpreter if he, quote, did not take hold of the rudder and do his duty. Close quote. Toussaint pulls himself together and the two men pull the sail in and right the boat. Meanwhile, the two other men aboard in Sacagawea are bailing water. But since the water's up to the gunwales by now,

they are making little headway and desperately needed supplies are going overboard every second. Not losing a moment, Sacagawea, with little Poppy strapped to her back no less, reaches for every paper, instrument, book, and medicine vial she sees. The soaked sailors manage to get the waterlogged pirogue back to the riverbanks, over 300 yards

away. All members of the Corps help lay out soggy supplies in the sun and drain the boat. After such a harrowing afternoon, Meriwether, quote, thought it proper occasion to console ourselves and cheer the spirits of our men, and accordingly took a drink of grog and gave each man a jill of spirits. Close quote. And amen, brother. Meriwether also praises Sacagawea's quick action and clear head, saying, quote, the Indian woman to whom I ascribe equal fortitude and resolution with any person on board at the time of the accident caught and preserved most of the light articles which were washed overboard, close quote. And when they reach Sacagawea's people, the Shoshone, she translates so that Meriwether and Bill can get the pack horses needed for the

overland parts of the journey. She's definitely pulling her weight in this expedition. Don't know if I can say the same for her husband, but there you go. And it's after leaving the Shoshone that Bill, Sacajawea, and Toussaint get caught in that terrible flash flood. Ready to know how that ended? Breathe easy, my friends. After clawing up the ravine's muddy precipice, Bill's slave, York, finds them. He helps them get back to camp despite the miserable storm. Thankfully, the intrepid Sacagawea and little Pompey recover quickly from this horrific ordeal. And so, they keep pushing on. The Corps of Discovery must make it to the coast before winter.

They plan to follow the Columbia River to it. For any of you who have ever had the pleasure of driving along the Columbia on the border of Washington and Oregon, you know that the river gorge is full of spectacular falls. Well, you might think they're spectacular. The men in this expedition just think they make travel to the ocean a nightmare. After hauling their gear around falls, rafting through terrifying rapids, and hiking more than even the most avid outdoorsman would ever consider saying, the core arrives at the Pacific Ocean on November 7th. Meriwether Wax is almost poetic at the sight of the mighty Columbia draining into the sea.

Quote, Great joy in camp. We are in view of the ocean, this great Pacific Ocean, which we've been so long anxious to see. Close quote. Bill contains himself a little more, simply saying, Ocean in view. Oh, the joy. A man of few words, that Bill. They decide to build a fort near the fresh waters of a river. They are camping on the

north bank of the Columbia, but a lot of people in the party think the south side makes a better situation for the fort. So Meriwether puts it to a vote on November 24th, 1805. And by the way, this is full-on democracy. It's noteworthy because every member of the party has a say. The officers, privates, interpreters, including Sacagawea and the enslaved Mr. York. In the end, the Southside wins. And so they build their fort on the banks of what is now the Lewis and Clark River, about 15 miles north of the resort town of Seaside, Oregon. Of course, Seaside doesn't exist yet, so the guys have to find their own entertainment when the days hunting, leatherworking, salt making, and repairing of equipment are done. Now, I don't think you need three guesses to figure out what a bunch of single guys are going to do with their free time. I mean, you can only listen to Cruzat's fiddling for so long.

They soon invite the local Indian women to join them for dances in what Bill calls amorous contact. Several of the men quickly contract what Meriwether calls, quote, the Louis Veneri, close quote. We call it syphilis. Luckily, Bill and Meriwether have a well-stocked first aid kit and treat their men with mercury-laden calomel. But since Bill doesn't want to spend all of his time handing out mercury ointments, he tells the guys to leave the ladies alone. And for the most part, they do. They pass a gray, wet winter in the fort, preparing for the return trip in the spring. The course sets out for home on March 23, 1806. Bill takes most of the men on a shorter overland route, he discovered,

while Meriwether heads out with a few guys on one last foray into the unknown before the two groups come back together at a later point. But Meriwether has more adventures than he bargained for. While exploring the Maria's River, he and his guys run into hostile Blackfoot Indians, so they double-time it to meet Bill's crew at their meeting point on the Yellowstone River. They have to move fast,

which means hunting and fishing as time permits, and this has a disastrous effect on August 11th. Meriwether heads out with his right-hand man, Cruzette. Yeah, this guy is an awesome sailor and a great fiddler, but he's blind as a bat. They run into a herd of elk and manage to kill one. As they follow the herd to bag another buck, Cruzette sees something in the bushes to his left.

The nearly blind man thinks it's a bear and shoots without a second thought. Meriwether screams, damn you, you shot me. The confused hunter realizes he shot his captain in the butt. Meriwether, however, thinks the Blackfoot Indians have shot him, so he runs like Forrest Gump in Vietnam back to the Purogue to get help from the other guys. When Cruzat and Meriwether finally put two and two together, the wounded captain is pretty put out with his hunting partner. So see, you're not the only one, Dick Cheney. I could regale you with stories about this expedition all day, but we have to call it at some point.

Suffice it to say that our fearless captains and their crew, though a little worse for wear, make it back to St. Louis on September 23rd, 1806. Well done, gents. Well done. Though they don't find the easy trade routes Thomas Jefferson had hoped for, their maps, notes, and good relations with Indians will continue to be of use for decades to come. Now, while Bill and Meriwether are being celebrated, many are thinking of another famous American who's out west around this time, Aaron Burr. The ex-vice president greatly complicated his life a few years back on July 11th, 1804 to be specific.

We'll talk about this more next time, but I can't help giving you a glimpse. So let's head back to Weehawken, New Jersey, 1804. And you know how we do that. Rewind. Ready? Nathaniel Pendleton calls out, his voice ringing through the woods of Weehawken, New Jersey. Stop. In certain states of the light, one requires glasses, answers Alexander Hamilton. The down-on-his-luck founding father now holds up his flintlock pistol,

sighting it several times before reaching into a pocket, taking out his glasses and putting them on. This will do. Now you may proceed, he hollers back to Nathaniel, who's both his second and the man overseeing the duel. The two middle-aged opponents, one a general, the other vice president, who have rubbed shoulders and crossed paths for half their lives as soldiers, lawyers, and politicians now stare one another down. The shade of the trees gives Aaron Burr a clear view. Alex likely squints as his sad, spectacled eyes focus on Aaron with a background of a morning sunlight, the Hudson River, and New York City. Nathaniel calls out for the second time to see if both are prepared. Both answer in the affirmative. Per the rules agreed upon in advance, Alex and Aaron both know they are to fire on the next

command. Yes, that's it. This is the moment. And as agreed upon, Nathaniel bellows out, Present! I am a dead man. History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beaty of J.B. Audio Design. Thank you. That doesn't suck.com. Join me in two weeks where I'd like to tell you a story. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans.

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