Tribal body jewelry was given out as gifts on the way to the Pacific, although it was not liked discussed among some of the bewigged gentlemen in the Cabinet Room of the new White House. To some of them, President Thomas Jefferson, accepted as a genius and visionary by the world, although perhaps his vision of an America from sea to sea was a noble but rather far fetched idea.



So Jefferson was wise to employ these two mountain men from the west, a Mr. Lewis, who began to create his team with a Mr. Clark. But in the healthy lifestyles of an eastern drawing room, their smells of bear fat and animal grease long rancid, while quite amusing in it's way, seemed hardly likely a priority for America to become distracted with. So much to be done on the east Atlantic coast.

Well enough that President Jefferson had been on such good terms with the court of France, as had Benjamin Franklin before him, that the French saw the American colonists as easy living bumpkins, all so amusing, although not that Thomas Jefferson.

Jefferson's tall handsome stature spoke before he did: all tended to arise when he entered the room; all knew the level of conversation had just been elevated a thousand times.

Self educated mostly yet a founder of universities in his native Virgina and beyond. A self taught architect who admired the Greek columns and it was his influence largely that saw America create models of Athens and the democracy represented there.

To Jefferson Rome was the warrior son and Greece was the Socratic elder. But as to mighty Rome, before Julius Caesar all also had a voice through Senate and Congress, each was free to speak his mind.

And it was this ideal that Tom Jefferson sent through to the Pacific coast, in trespass of lands claimed by Britain, Russia and Spain. He had paid for the French part, the Louisiana Territory. But when you think of it, after that it was stake and claim, fight now then explain.

And soon the gemstones they had bought giving to other native girls for friendships along the way, and the maps and charts Lewis found useless and had to create anew. We have maps that trace their route, and the routes of so many brave bears who went up over the mountain, to see what they could see.

An amazing glimpse of real life of the native peoples of the plains occurred when as the Lewis and Clark group paddled their up the Missouri, meeting many tribes standing along the shores at times, warriors at the ready.

Sacagawea would wave, speak in her native language, put her pregnant belly, and all would feel at ease. These strange people were not a war party with a pregnant girl along, very strange but as long as they are only passing through we will let them alone.

And hundreds of miles up the Missouri, when they settled for the night at a camp of locals who seemed friendly, all were amazed when Sacagawea broke into a run, crying and laughing.

She had been reunited with her brother, who had gone up river with this other tribe. They had much to talk about, and all were amused and amazed. They were still a long way from the great divide they all knew was at the headwaters of this mighty river.

Then on to the sea. Then what? America, is what. Now only the most visionary could see a dynamic new nation was about to be created from sea to sea as no other.

Here from tribal jewelry was America, the potential Diamond in the rough that is shining up rather nicely, many have remarked. And it is true that the greatest is yet to be.