Sacajawea is known as the Indian women who led Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase and find the route to the Pacific Ocean. Born into the Shoshone tribe in their Rocky Mountain homeland, she was born in the lovely state of Idaho in 1788. Her story has been told around the world in many different countries and in many different ways. No one actually knows the true story of his life as all of his sources have been mixed up and combined into one different story. Sacajawea was shaped by three major events at different stages of her life ("Sacajawea"). For starters, Sacajawea grew up as a member of the Lemhi Band of the Shoshone Native American Tribe. It was surrounded by the Rocky Mountains in the Salmon River region of Idaho. He had a difficult life growing up. The Shoshone became enemies of the Hidatsa tribe who lived along the Missouri River. In 1800 the Hidatsa tribe subsequently captured Sacajawea, leaving behind his family and friends, during a buffalo hunt. They officially adopted it into their culture and it became known as Hidatsa. She was a Shoshone by birth and a Hidatsa by culture. Three years later, through an exchange, the French-Canadian Toussaint Charbonneau purchased it, making Sacajawea his property. At the age of 16, Sacajawea became one of Charbonneau's two wives and later was the mother of his son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. She had a very difficult life growing up which led her to participate in a famous expedition. ("Sacajawea").Sacajawea ended up participating in the great expedition exploring the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Ocean. Thomas Jefferson originally sent Lewis and Clark, but they chose a leader to lead them. Sacajawea wasn't even supposed to be on the expedition. I......middle of paper......neau and his many wives until his death ("The True Story of Sacajawea and Her People"). In conclusion, Sacajawea lived a very adventurous but disturbing life before her death on December 20, 1812 at Fort Lisa. Her death was caused by a putrid fever at the age of 25 which left her husband, Charbonneau, her son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, and her young daughter, Lizette Charbonneau. About eight months after Sacajawea's death, explorer William Clark adopted both Lizette and her brother Jean. Charbonneau was forced to give William Clark full custody of both children. His extraordinary legend immediately grew among the people, surprising everyone. Nobody wanted to believe he was dead. In fact, his death was not accepted by whites or Native Americans until historical records were published. Sacajawea is now a truly great American thanks to three major events in her life (“Sacajawea”).