Before Dr. Robert Moore (RIGHT) became an educator at Washington University in St. Louis, he was a historian who worked for the National Park Service for 40 years. He enjoys doing historical research and using architectural drawing programs to create 3-D computer models of past buildings and landscapes. He also spends time hiking in the woods and watching animals and birds in their natural habitats. Dr. Moore shared his thoughts about life on the westward trails and his long career at Gateway Arch National Park. The park was founded to commemorate the role of St. Louis in the westward expansion of the United States during the 1800s.
What got you interested in history?
I was born in Utica, New York. The Oriskany Revolutionary War battle happened not far from where I lived, and my family visited the battlefield and the museum. You could almost imagine the conflict that happened there. I also spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He was a soldier in World War I and a carpenter who was interested in old buildings. All those things made me curious about people who lived a long time ago. What did they eat? How did they dress? How were the times they lived in different from the times I was living through?
What made you focus on westward expansion?
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Airborne Animals
Humans have taken to the skies in balloons, gliders, and airplanes-but we're not alone among the clouds. Animals of all sorts have evolved to harness wind power.
TAKING OFF
The Wright brothers expected airplanes to “take off,” but even they might be amazed at the way the airline industry has become big business. In the past, it was expensive to send something by plane.
WHY KITTY HAWK?
The Wright brothers searched carefully for the best place to test their gliders and flying machines. Their main concern was for good, steady winds. But they also hoped to find a remote location to allow them to perform tests away from the public eye.
Da Vinci's 4 Designs
Have you ever wondered how a bird flies? Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) did. He thought that understanding how a bird flies would provide the key to human flight. So, what did da Vinci learn from birds?
Along Rivers and Through Prairies
An Interview With Dr. Robert Moore
Routes Well Traveled
The United States is not the only country that celebrates its historic routes. But the routes included here are much older!
Last Stop, Independence
For many Oregon Trail pioneers, Independence, Missouri, was the last stop in the United States. Soon after it was founded in 1827, the waterfront town became a strategic city on the Missouri River.
Danger on the Trail
About 20,000 emigrants died on the Oregon Trail. That averaged to about one grave for every 100 yards from the Missouri River to the Willamette Valley. And because pioneers had to keep to a steady pace each day, burials on the trail were hasty. There often was no time to create a marker to note a burial site.
Keeping the Legacy Alive
Several sites in Virginia work to keep alive James Monroe's legacy. In Westermoreland County, Monroe Hall, Monroe's birthplace and the place he called home until he was 16 years old, has been re-created.
The American Colonization Society
In 1821, President James Monroe signed into law the controversial Missouri Compromise.
