A bust of the lone Black adventurer in the Lewis and Clark expedition mysteriously appeared in an Oregon park. Who was York? Jordan Culver, USA TODAY
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When the early-1800s expedition to the Pacific Ocean led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned after two years and 8,000 miles, members who traveled with the now-famous pair of explorers received titles, accolades, land and fame.
Except for the Black man who had no say in whether he was coming along.
York, an enslaved man owned by Clark and the first Black man to reach the Pacific, wanted his freedom. Or, at the very least, York wanted to be allowed to live with his wife in Louisville, Kentucky.