Pony Express
By Aaron Gibbs
Pony Express Events
1 January-March, 1860 The firm sets out to establish the Pony Express mail service under the name of the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company.
2 April 3, 1860 The first rider left St. Joseph and Sacramento
3 November 7, 1860 Pony Express riders carried word of Abraham Lincoln’s election as President from Fort Kearney, Nebraska to Placerville, California in a record 5 days
4 April 15, 1861 The San Francisco and Sacramento offices are turned over to Wells Fargo & Company.
5 July 26, 1861 Tele graph reaches Fort Churchill in Nevada from the west and a few miles west of Fort Kearney, Nebraska from the east. This reduces the Pony Express run to seven days.
6 October 24, 1861 Both the east and west coast are finally linked up by the trans-continental telegraph line. The Pony Express is discontinued.
The Impact on Native Americans, Nation, and People
The Native Americans were affected by the Pony Express because some of the mail routes went right threw their land. The Native Americans also attacked and raided the station where the riders come and go. It also affected people because the Pony Express was faster than the stagecoach by 14 days. The Pony Express was big in the country because of the Civil War. Since it took a lot of time for stagecoach to get there and back for mail. It was the Pony Express job to keep the west up to date on the Civil War. They also set a new record 5 day even know it took 10 because it was the Abraham Lincoln election.
How the Pony Express Impact the Economy
The Pony Express impact the economy by when closed 80 jobs were lost and 100 stations were closed, but the telegraph industry had a lot more jobs. Also the Pony Express cost a lot including getting or buying all of the horses, paying the riders, building stations, buying supplies, and paying the people who tended to the horses.
Important People
William H. Russell was a founder of the Pony Express but before he founder of Yale University and he was an American businessman, educator, and politician. William B. Waddell was also a found of the Pony Express but before he moved a lot and was a store owner. Alexander Majors once again a founder of the Pony Express was but before he was an American businessman.
The Day in a Life of a Rider
For each rider they had a different experience with the Pony Express because of their terrain. The Great Plain riders usually had to deal with wild animals and had to fight them off to get to the next station. But for the riders that ride in the Mountains if their horse got stuck or died they had to walk the mail to the next station. But for all riders it was hard to ride with wild animals, the weather, or riding in the dark the Pony Express was dangerous.
Conclusion
The Pony Express help Manifest Destiny by helping connect the east and west with faster mail services. But with Manifest Destiny meaning it was God’s plan for the Americans to move westward, the Pony Express helped connect the east and west with getting news to the west about what was going on. Finally the effects are still scene from the Pony Express with the Wells & Fargo company with the rider on the horse their symbol.