TheAmericanWest

=by Kieran Henderson, Cody Strecker= =THE AMERICAN WEST=


 * Lewis and Clark

In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson called to Congress a secret expidition be made across the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. President Jefferson the job of charting the area could be done by a dozen hand picked military men. He also thought that the expidition would only cost them $2,500. Then in July in the same year Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana territory to the United States for $15,000,000.Shortly after Getting this news Jefferson appointed Meriweather Lewis to lead the expidition. The Presidents directions were ".... explore the Missouri River and such principal stream of it, as, by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, may offer the most direct and practicle water communication across the continent, for the purpose of commerce." When Lewis got the job he recommended that his close friend William Clark be his second in command. May 14,1804 the Lewis and Clark expidition started in St. Louis in search of the Pacific Ocean. The expidition took two and a half years and was at least 8,000 miles long. Information From: [] Picture From:[|govdocs.evergreen.edu/.../ lewis-clark/index.html] Mission San Antonio de Valero, later became famous as the Alamo, was established in 1718. Rebelling against repressions against Mexico's self-proclaimed dictator, Santa Anna. A band of 189 Texas voluteers defied a Mexican army of thousands for a thirteen day siege ( Feb. 23 to Mar. 6). The Defenders of the Alamo fought and died to the last man. The end came April 21 when Sam Houstan's Texans Routed the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto Near Houston and captured "The Napoleon of the West" as Santa Anna billed himself. Information From: []
 * The Alamo (1836)

Picture From:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9m2zljes6qo/TBedSfYe-dI/AAAAAAAAAxI/tw9_LqqZMIU/s1600/the+alamo.jpg


 * Pioneers

- Buffalo Bill- He is one of the most colorful figures of the Old West and the best known spokesman for the New west. He was born William Frederick Cody in 1846. At the age of 22, He was rechristened " Buffalo Bill". He was a trapper, a bullwhacker, a Colorado "Fifty-Niner", a pony express rider (1860), Wagonmaster, a stagecoach driver, Civil War soldier, and even a hotel manager. He got his nickname by supplying railroad workers with buffalo meat. He was one of the most illustrious prairie scouts of the Indian Wars. Information From: http://www.americanwest.com/pages/buffbill.htm Picture from: []

- Granville Woods (1856-1910): He was known as the " Black Edison". He was forced to leave school at the age of 10 and was not allowed inside a library because of his race. Self-educated he earned more than 60 patents for electrical and mechanicle inventions. At the age of 24 he began his own business, selling his inventions to some of the country's largest corporations, including Bell Telephone, General Electric, and Westinghouse. One of his most famous inventions is the "Synchronous Multiplex Railroad Telegraph." This invention helped dispactures locate trains,send messages faster between trains and the stations, this invention prevented a lot of train crashes. After Bell Telephone purchased this invention he became a full time inventor. Information From: []

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Who do you think the most recognizable figure is in the old west? Why is that person significant to the Old West?
 * Activity