Question

Which of the following MOST ACCURATELY describes how their experiences and the experiences of historians after them would have been affected if they had been able to film their expedition? Select TWO options.

Film would have captured images of the terrain and its inhabitants that writing never could.


Film would have lessened the mystery and importance of what they discovered by simplifying it.


Film would have benefitted Lewis and Clark, but not the historians afterward because film is not as reliable as paper documents.


Film would have saved Lewis and Clark the time it took them to handwrite and preserve their delicate paper documents.


Film would have made no difference in the experiences of Lewis and Clark or the historians because paper documents are similar to filmed footage.

Answer 1

Answers: 1 and 2.

- Film would have captured images of the terrain and its inhabitants that writing never could — True: moving images provide visual detail (landscape, clothing, behavior, interactions) that written descriptions can’t fully convey, giving later historians new primary-source evidence.

- Film would have lessened the mystery and importance of what they discovered by simplifying it — Also true: having concrete visual records would likely reduce some of the romanticized mystery and speculation that grew around their written journals, since film makes things more immediate and apparently “self‑evident,” even while it aids interpretation.