Sample file. Buffalo Bill Cody

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Dwain Austin
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Joseph, Missouri (the starting point of the pony express) and Sacramento, California (the ending point). The stations were simply the place to change horses; with no rest or break for the rider.

1 The Pony Express The Pony Express system worked using 80 riders and about 400 horses. There were way stations approximately every 10 miles the distance that a horse could travel before needing a break. That meant that there were about 160 way stations between St. Joseph, Missouri (the starting point of the pony express) and Sacramento, California (the ending point). The stations were simply the place to change horses; with no rest or break for the rider. At each of the stations the rider would take the mochila (the mail pouch) and jump on a fresh horse. After changing horses 8-10 times, the rider would pass on the mail bag to a new rider. They travelled day and night and were paid $25 per week a very high paying job in the 1860s. Mochila Russell and his company realized that to make optimum time, the riders would need to be young and fit. It was important that the rider be less than 120 pounds to reduce the total weight on the horse. They had to be brave since there were several dangers on the route: bandits and outlaws, attacks by Native Americans, and severe weather. Orphans were preferred. Men were also hired to operate the way stations. And the Wild West Show Page 2

The Telegraph is Her re! The telegraph is a communication system that sends messages using wires. The telegraph had already been around for a long time when Samuel Morse began improving it.

2 The Telegraph is Her re! The telegraph is a communication system that sends messages using wires. The telegraph had already been around for a long time when Samuel Morse began improving it. Morse worked with two other men - Leonard Gail and Alfred Vail - to improve on previous designs of the telegraph. Ultimately their improvements allowed for telegraph messages to be transmitted over long distances, something that had not previously been achieved. Morse developed a code using pulses of electrical current to produce a series of dots and dashes, aptly called the Morse Samuel Morse Code. After 12 years of perfecting the invention, Samuel Morse received a patent. Morse demonstrated a prototype to show the capabilities of the telegraph. A prototype is a model or sample. Even with all of its potential, the telegraph did not wow the spectators maybe people just couldn t imagine its possibilities. It took more than five years to obtain government funding to build an experimental telegraph line built between Washington DC and Baltimore, Maryland. The 40-mile line was completed in The first message Morse sent was a passage from the bible: What hath God wrought? And the Wild West Show Page 3

The Telegraph Lines Samuel Morse sold licenses to individuals and companies to use his invention; however, not all of these companies transmitted using Morse Code.

3 The Telegraph Lines Samuel Morse sold licenses to individuals and companies to use his invention; however, not all of these companies transmitted using Morse Code. By 1851, there were countless telegraph companies using incompatible systems leading to confusion, rivalry and lawsuits. Everyone worked independently when they should have been working together. The Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860 authorized the building of the transcontinental lines telegraph lines that would extend across the nation. Building began immediately and on October 21, 1861, the lines were complete. Messages began to be transmitted using Morse Code. This achievement essentially ended the need for the Pony Express which ceased operations two days later on October 23, The Pony Express operated only 18 months. And the Wild West Show Page 4

Buffalo Bill Cody William Cody was born in 1846 in Iowa Territory before Iowa became a state. His father died when Bill was eleven years old, forcing him to look for work so that he could earn a wage.

4 Buffalo Bill Cody William Cody was born in 1846 in Iowa Territory before Iowa became a state. His father died when Bill was eleven years old, forcing him to look for work so that he could earn a wage. At around the age of 14, Bill headed west to look for gold in California. On his way he signed up as a rider for the Pony Express. Bill Cody wrote an autobiography in which he recounted his adventures as a Pony Express rider. He recalled encounters with Indians and wild animals, dangerous terrain, hazardous riding conditions, and harsh weather. Buffalo Bill Cody In his adult life, Bill was an Army scout, an Indian fighter and a buffalo hunter. It is said that to help feed railroad workers, Cody killed over 4,200 buffalo in an 18-month period, earning him the name Buffalo Bill Cody. Buffalo Bill became quite a character literally! A writer named Ned Buntine used the stories and anecdotes of Bill Cody s life to create a bigger-than-life folk hero. These dime novels became an instant success and thrust Buffalo Bill into the status of celebrity. Bill Cody spent 30 years of his life producing, touring and starring in his own Buffalo Bill s Wild West show. Cashing in on his reputation and name, Buffalo Bill toured the United States as a showman. His show also featured other well-known western personalities such as Annie Oakley and the well-known Sioux Chief Sitting Bull. And the Wild West Show Page 5

Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show Buffalo Bill s show provided the world with a glimpse of the old west and helped create the lasting impression that we know today.

5 Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show Buffalo Bill s show provided the world with a glimpse of the old west and helped create the lasting impression that we know today. However, information conveyed in the show s re-enactments were not necessarily accurate. Sitting Bull s presence suggested that the Indian wars were over and that the white settlers had won. Bill Cody had the audience cheering for the settlers as the Native Americans were presented as the provokers. In reality, Indians might have defended their territory, but they rarely initiated attacks on settlers. Bill s shows toured the United States for 30 years and traveled to Europe on four different occasions! When his manager died, Bill attempted to manage his traveling show himself. This was a mistake. Bill was not a good businessman and he ended up going broke. In 1895, Buffalo Bill helped found the city of Cody, Wyoming, where he occasionally resided in his final years. Bill Cody died in 1917 at the age of 70. He was well-respected and upon his death, he received many tributes (acknowledgments) from important figures such as England s King George V, Germany s Emperor King Wilhelm II, and United States President Woodrow Wilson. And the Wild West Show Page 6

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in Darke County, Ohio, in August of 1860. When she was very young, her father died and her mother remarried.

6 Annie Oakley Annie Oakley was born Phoebe Ann Moses in Darke County, Ohio, in August of When she was very young, her father died and her mother remarried. A short while later her stepfather also died leaving her mother penniless and unable to care for her children. Annie and her older sister were sent to live in an infirmary where they were taught domestic skills and received some schooling. An infirmary is a type of hospital. From there, when she was only ten, Annie was sent to work for a family. She was treated cruelly and when Annie had the chance, she ran away back to her mother s. There she began to hunt and trap, selling the animals to pay the mortgage. Annie became such a skilled shooter that she was able to completely pay off her mother s mortgage by the time she was fifteen! Also at 15, Annie won a shooting competition against a well-known marksman named Frank Butler. Butler became smitten with Annie and the two were married the next year. Frank toured as a sharpshooter a person who is skilled at shooting a rifle. After several years of touring, Butler s Annie Oakley partner was unable to perform and Annie was asked to stand in. She created such excitement and was so well-received that she began performing at every show. Soon Frank was promoting the show while Annie was the main star. And the Wild West Show Page 7

Buffalo Bill s Wild West Show

Buffalo Bill s Wild West Show STAAR Test English II Writing Administration Spring 2014 Passage #3 p. 12-14 Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document. Natalia wrote