2) 193 Pounds of “Portable Soup” Soup would be a great source of food for our travels, even though it might not last very long, By the time the soup had run out, we would have been traveling for some time, and would have known how to find an external food source and how to get it.

3) Writing Paper, Ink, and Crayons: The whole point to the trip is documenting what was found on in the west, and you can’t really do that without paper and writing utensils. During the trip, we need to take notes that other people could use in the future. Overall, it would help Jefferson understand the west and what resides there. 

4) 130 Rolls of Tobacco: It is inevitable that we will come across Natives that live in the west. In order to show that we are friendly, we need to have something to give to them so they don’t attack us. By giving them this tobacco, we might be able to converse with them and possible trade with what we have and ask for information about the land.

5) 45 Flannel Shirts: We need clothing for the trip, especially since we don’t know the weather conditions or what will happen in the west. We will surely be able to find bodies of water to cleanse these shirts, so once dried these shirts will offer us warmth and a decent amount of protection for unpredictable weather.

6) 15 Prototype Model 1803 Muzzle-Loading .54 Caliber Rifles: Since we don’t know what lives in the west, we need something to defend ourselves with. These might also help for hostile Indian Tribes, as we don’t know how they will react to seeing us. These Rifles are more of last resorts than anything else.

7) 176 Pounds of Gunpowder Packed in 52 Lead Canisters: These go along with the guns, as we need ammunition (See below) and something to power the gun. The same applies for the gun itself, as we need defense and a way to protect ourselves and others.

8) Other Drugs for Blistering, Salivation and Increased Kidney Output: It is no doubt that one or more of us will get hurt on this trip. Whether it be internal or external, we need a way to help, as we want as many people on this expedition as possible. Anything to help serious problems will be appreciated on the trip.

9) Blankets: Just like the shirts, we are going to need as many sources to keep us warm as possible. With blankets, we will be able to stay warm for long periods of time, depending on the quality of the blankets. These would aid mostly in our sleep, which we will need a lot of on the trip due to constant walking and traveling. 

10) 420 Pounds of Sheet Lead for Bullets: Just like the gun and gunpowder, we would need bullets for defense and self-protection. The bullets could additionally aid in hunting food when our rations run low.

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Captain: 

I would choose Meriwether Lewis as the Captain for the Corps of Discovery. Lewis was chosen first to make the expedition, and was given a set of goals to achieve while traveling. Lewis was responsible for taking notes during the trip, and recorded what he saw during his journey.

I would choose Lewis to go because he’s always been in good health, he knows what he’s doing, and knows what him and his group needs to do in order to gather as many notes and as much research as possible. Yes, it is true that Clark was the one that kept the group in an order, but in the end, that wasn’t the important part. Overall, Lewis’s notes and research was able to allow Jefferson to better understand that land and eventually take the land for the United States. In his situation, I choose smarts over brawn and control.

Private: 

I would choose Silas Goodrich as the Private for the Corps of Discovery. Not much is known about him and his life, but we know that he was labeled, “the best fisherman of the group.” Surely, the men would have a main source of food, but when that ran out, Silas would be very useful in catching fish for food along the journey.

In order to stay alive, food was a very important resource. During the journey, we can assume that food was on the top of everyone’s mind. I’m positive that there were other people that could gather food for the group, but as a fisherman myself, I know that when done correctly, food can be very plentiful when you’re fishing with a rod.

Non-Military Member:

I would choose Sacagawea as the non-military member for the Corps of Discovery. Sacagawea was very important on the journey, and it is obvious to see why, She knows the land, she knows the people, and she understands what needs to be accomplished. She could speak multiple languages as well, which can only help when journeying to unknown lands.

Additionally, taking her along would be an action of peace towards her people and others that live in the west. Females are not typically taken to help on these kinds of things, so the Indian Natives would find us peaceful. Again mentioning food, she would know what would be good to eat and what wouldn't, and she would probably know where to find water too.

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