USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Keelboats were the boat of choice to carry valuable produce, such as whiskey and pelts, to market in the early Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys. Unlike boats previously used on the western waters, keelboats had a light draft, were maneuverable, and could carry between 20 and 40 tons of freight.

Detailed explanation-2: -After linking up with Clark, the expedition left Clarksville (Indiana Territory) on 26 October 1803 with the keelboat and two smaller, flat-bottom boats (called by their French name pirogue). Lewis designed the keelboat and oversaw its construction in Pittsburgh.

Detailed explanation-3: -The keel is basically a flat blade sticking down into the water from a sailboat’s bottom. It has two functions: it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast that keeps the boat right-side up.

Detailed explanation-4: -Lewis and Clark’s keelboat was built as a galley in Pittsburgh in 1803 for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, after detailed specifications by Meriwether Lewis. A keelboat, it could be propelled by oars, sails, poles and towlines.