Life in 1803 Lewis (middle class) lacked the higher education & wealth of the upper class

1. Life in 1803 Lewis (middle class) lacked the higher education & wealth of the upper class Public schools did not exist Rich planters were often educated by boarding with teachers-usually preachers Farms were far apart, men such as Lewis acquired distinct wilderness skills Lewis was a great horseman, hunter, and hiker The Middle Class was expected to know the social refinements of the rich planters Many like Lewis sought adventure, and joined the army as a result Geographic Knowledge Know Eastern U.S. Atlantic Ocean Appalachian Mts. Only 4 roads over the Appalachian Mts. Great Lakes Ohio & Mississippi River Systems 6 weeks to get from the Mississippi River to the eastern seaboard Mouth of the Missouri River The Great Bend of the Missouri The Mouth of the Columbia River

2. Rumors of the West • Woolly mammoths, Peruvian llamas, blue-eyed Welsh-speaking Indians • A NW Passage • A landmass of erupting volcanoes and mountains of undissolved salt. • unicorns, seven-foot-tall beavers, and friendly, slim-waisted buffalo. • California is an island. • The Rocky Mountains to be narrow and undaunting smaller than the Appalachians