Most people are aware of the Lewis and Clark expedition. It was an expedition to cross the newly gained western portion of the United States, also known as the Louisiana Purchase made in 1803. The land expanded from modern day St. Louis to Montana; the trek went further though to modern day Washington. Key members of the expedition were William Clark, Meriwether Lewis and Sacagawea. There was also an African American male who played a part in the expedition, who was less known his name is York.
York was born into slavery, the son of “Old York” and Rose, two enslaved laborers owned by Clark’s father John. York grew up with William Clark, and was left to William as his slave in his father’s will. Though York was a few years younger than William, he stood 6 foot and weighed 200 lbs.
When Clark accepted the expedition, he told York that he would travel on the expedition as well. York didn’t like this announcement as he had just recently gotten married and would have to leave his new bride behind, but as a slave he had no choice.
The expedition lasted 28 months, and York experienced a lot more freedom than he was used to during this time. York handled firearms, killed animals and helped to navigate trails and waterways. He was one of the few in the expedition who knew how to swim. The Native Americans that the expedition encountered were in awe of York as they had never seen an African American before. They sent York and one other man to barter with the Nez Perce tribe for food. The Nez Perce didn’t believe his skin color was real, so they tried to rub the black off with coarse sand and only stopped when the skin started bleeding.
Clark used York’s “different appearance” to his advantage. He encouraged the Nez Perce to inspect him and encouraged him to perform as a monster or a dancing buffoon for them. For the record, there is no mention of the other men in the expedition “performing” during the expedition.
York became the first African American man to reach the Pacific Ocean when he walked 19 miles (30 km) from their camp to the ocean with Clark. In November 1805, York voted on a decision pertaining to the expedition, which made him the first known African American to vote west of the Mississippi River. All the men who took part in the expedition were paid between $5 and $30 a month depending on rank and also given 320 acres of land. Since York was a slave, he received none of the perks or payment. In fact, he was the only one who wasn’t compensated.
They named two geographic discoveries made during the expedition after York; York’s eight Islands and York’s Dry Creek. Though York contributed a lot to the Expedition’s success, Clark refused to release him from Slavery after the expedition was over. Clark had earlier released a slave named Ben from servitude for services rendered, but he refused to do the same with York. Three years after the expedition ended, Clark and York had a falling out. York was hired out to a Louisville Kentucky farmer for a year. The new temporary owner of York had a reputation for physically abusing his slaves.
It would take ten years after the expedition was over for Clark to finally give York his freedom. We don’t know a lot about York after he was freed. Clark mentioned the fate of York some 20 years later during an interview. Clark stated York started business as a wagoner, but failed at it because he couldn’t handle freedom and that York yearned to be a slave again. This strikes me as not being the whole truth and a bit of bitterness about York on Clark’s part.
The years York was free were a time when slavery was legal and prospering, so it makes sense York would struggle in a world where African Americans were still legally second-class citizens in parts of the United States. I do not believe York ever once yearned to be a slave again. This strikes me as part of the revisionist white washing of slavery where people believe slaves were happy to be enslaved and saddened by the results of the Civil War. Who really wants to be enslaved to another person? What we know about York is that he died of cholera in 1832.
York played a vital role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He helped the expedition gain passage through Native American-controlled land and also helped begin trade with the tribes. The fact York could vote during the expedition and had land named after him shows he gained the respect of the fellow men on the expedition. When we hear the Lewis and Clark stories, York is conveniently left out, here’s to hoping we will include York in future editions of the story.
