Jo. Shields and J. Potts were the only members of the Corps who wanted to proceed directly to Sandy River without crossing and examining the south side of the Columbia River.

Click for the results of The Vote Online.

If members of The Corps had chosen to winter over near modern-day Portland or The Dalles, how would that have changed our history?

Astoria, Oregon, was founded in 1811, just five years after Lewis and Clark left Fort Clatsop to return home.  Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies.  Had The Corps chosen to spend the winter further east up the river, it is possible that Portland or The Dalles would have become the first settlement established.

Or maybe not!

Remember.  The Corps was a military expedition.  Even though Captains Lewis and Clark polled the Corps, they could have decided to override the desires of the group and ordered the men to “cross and examine,” in which case history may not have changed significantly from the journals.  The Captains polled the Corps at one other point in the journey and this is exactly what happened then.

 Click here to see what happens if you voted to “cross and examine.”