The new golden dollar coin features Sacagawea, a Native American Indian. She was captured at the age of 10 and produced a son at the age of 14. Information on her historical importance.
Were you one of the many people that purchased the new golden dollar coin? Did you really take a good look at the person on the coin? The portrait you see on the coin is "Sacagawea", the Native American woman. Sacagawea was born in Idaho and was a Shoshone Native American. While she was picking berries with other Shoshone women, she was captured by Hidatsa warriors. This capture took place in 1800. She was probably about 10 years old. The Minitari braves traded her repeatedly.
Sacagawea was sold to Toussaint Charbonneau. Toussaint was a Canadian fur trapper. He won her in a gamble. Believe it or not, Charbonneau already had a wife when he won her. It has been written that his wife was probably a common-law wife. Sacagawea, at the age of 14, married Charbonneau. Within a few months Sacagawea was pregnant. Lewis and Clark hired Toussaint as an interpreter and a guide. Since Sacagawea, a teenage bride, was married to Toussaint and also expecting a child, she had to be included in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Because Sacagawea was expecting a child within a few months, the tribes figured the Lewis and Clark expedition was not an aggressive party. To the tribes she was a sign of peace and has been referred to as "˜a living white flag'.
Sacagawea became helpful in finding plant roots that could be used as food. It became known that Lewis and Clark did not especially care for Charbonneau. But they knew it was a packaged deal. They needed Sacagawea because she could communicate with the Shoshone. To make the crossing over the Rockies, they were going to need horses. Sacagawea would undoubtedly be able to help them obtain horses from the Shoshone.
Sacagawea played a role in knowing the landscape. She was able to tell where they were and the direction they needed to follow. As mentioned in the above paragraph, she showed Clark the proper way to dig up onions. Sacagawea and Charbonneau decided to name the child Jean Baptiste. Even though she carried her son on her back, she proved her equality with the men on the expedition. For this reason, she has been referred as a "˜heroine'.
Many people have wondered why she went against her own descendents. It has been found that the women and female children of the Shoshone were mistreated. The reason for this was because of their gender. Severe beatings were administered to the young girls and the women of the Shoshone husbands were prostituted. This gave Sacagawea the drive to go against her own tribe.
There was a major debate concerning who would be shown on the new dollar coin. This happened after Congress passed the United States Dollar Coin Act in late 1997. In competition with Sacagawea was the Statue of Liberty. This coin featuring Sacagawea honors American Indians all over the world and focuses on the Lewis and Clark expedition.
The U.S. Mint decided to create the new dollar coin in her honor. It was decided to feature the American Bald Eagle on the back of the coin. Unlike the Susan B. Anthony coin, the new dollar coin will be gold in color.
