John Wesley Powell
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 19th Century
- Categories: Science, Discovery, Exploration
- Subcategories: Earth Sciences, Explorers, Natural History, Frontier, Pioneers
- Curriculum: American History 1816-1855, American Civil War & Reconstruction Era (1856-1877), American History 1878-1900
Article abstract: In 1869, Powell led the first party of exploration to descend the gorges of the Green and Colorado rivers by boat, stimulating interest in the geology and scenic wonders of the Grand Canyon. He also helped to establish the concepts of large-scale damming and irrigation projects as the keys to settlement and agricultural survival in the arid lands of the American West beyond the one hundredth meridian.
Early Life
John Wesley Powell was born on March 24, 1834, at Mount Morris, New York, the son of a circuit-riding Methodist minister who...
[The entire page is 2244 words long]
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