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York
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York was William Clark's slave. He and Clark had grown up together on Clark's family's plantation and York had been given to Clark when Clark's father died in 1799. Although he was specifically there as Clark's manservant, York worked fully as a member of the team throughout the Expedition, hunting, cooking, and, like the rest of the Corps, having geological features named after him—York's Eight Islands and York's Dry River.
York is reported to be the first African American to have crossed the northwest part of the United States. He was most certainly the first African American that many of the First, or Native Americans living in the West had seen, and they viewed him with curiosity and respect.
Like Sacagawea, York was paid nothing for his work on the Expedition, and once it was over, he returned to his life as a slave. He asked Clark for his freedom but was refused—it would be at least ten years before Clark let York be a free man.
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York
p.64
