Toussaint Charbonneau

Toussaint Charbonneau (March 20, 1767 - August 12, 1843; see note) was a French-Canadian explorer and trader, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He is also known as the husband of Sacagawea. Charbonneau was born in Boucherville, Quebec (near Montréal), a community with strong links to exploration and the fur trade. Contrary to popular belief, Charbonneau was a full-blooded French-Canadian and not Metis. His paternal grandmother was t... more

Toussaint Charbonneau (March 20, 1767 - August 12, 1843; see note) was a French-Canadian explorer and trader, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He is also known as the husband of Sacagawea. Charbonneau was born in Boucherville, Quebec (near Montréal), a community with strong links to exploration and the fur trade. Contrary to popular belief, Charbonneau was a full-blooded French-Canadian and not Metis. His paternal grandmother was the sister of Jacques de Noyon, who had explored the region around Kaministiquia (Thunder Bay) prior to 1700. In earlier years, Father Jacques Marquette and later on La Vérendrye were part of this community. Another notable resident was Boucher de Monbruen. He guided the American George Rogers Clark in his conquest of Cahokia, Kaskaskia, and Vincennes in present-day Indiana during the American Revolutionary War, helping weaken British influence in the Mississippi Valley. Charbonneau worked for a time as a fur trapper with the North West Company... less