PowerPoint Presentation Pioneers

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Fantastic Facts
The 100 glass of water While no one actually
paid 100 dollars for a glass of water it was
amazing to see the price differences in different
supplies. For example when you bought supplies
from a fort flour was 4 for a barrel but if you
had to buy it on the trail it was 1.50 for a
pint. While flour went up in price you could buy
a whole pound of bacon for 1 cent. Price was
determined by what was in demand at the time.
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Tired Feet
Because most emigrants grossly overloaded their
wagons, few could ride inside. Instead most
walked--many made the entire 2,000 mile journey
on foot.
Historian Merrill Mattes "Able bodied children
of any age walked, and some walked clear across
the United States and frequently without shoes."
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Buffalo
These immense herds sometimes blocked the way of
the emigrants--one wagon train had to wait two
hours for stampeding buffalo to pass by. The
emigrant's first reaction was to temporarily
abandon the journey and rush off on a buffalo
hunt--not for food, for sport.
Click the buffalo to see more pictures
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River Crossing
River crossings were a constant source of
distress for the pioneers. Hundreds drowned
trying to cross the Kansas, North Platte and
Columbia Rivers--among others. In 1850 alone, 37
people drowned trying to cross one particularly
difficult river--the Green.
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Jumping Off
The Missouri River heads due west from St. Louis
so most emigrants loaded their wagons onto
steamships for the upstream journey. It was easy
travelling, but it didn't last long. Two-hundred
miles from St. Louis, the Missouri takes a cruel
turn to the north. So the pioneers unloaded their
wagons at any one of several small towns along
the Missouri river which they called "jumping
off" places.
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Weather
Great thunderstorms took their toll. A
half-dozen emigrants were killed by lightning
strikes many others were injured by hail the
size of apples. Pounding rains were especially
difficult for the emigrants because there was no
shelter on the open plains and the covered wagons
eventually leaked.
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Second West Expedition
The first expedition was funded by the government
and the explorers were Lewis and Clark.
The second expedition was funded and lead by John
Jacob Astor. The Richest man in the world.
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Pike and Long
Pike and Long were sent to explore the great
plains and the Rocky Mountains.
They referred to the great plains as the great
American desert this discouraged people from
traveling their for a while.
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Great Plains Today
The great American desert is now produces many
cash crops and raises livestock.
It is also has been developed into many cities.