Read the excerpt from the journals of Lewis and Clark, and then answer the question. Based on what you’ve learned so far, why did Lewis and Clark hand out different-sized medals?

Lewis and Clark used different-sized medals to signal how they ranked the chiefs’ status and authority. Giving a larger medal indicated that they considered a chief more powerful or important than a chief who received a smaller one. The medals were not a repayment for gifts or debts.

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