https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0 Missouri weekly newspaper en-us 2017-03-20 17:34:44 UTC 2017-03-21 17:55:47 UTC hello@padlet.com 408142 https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161270614              After Mexico recently opened its borders to American traders, which Spain hadn't done, many traders wanted to use this as an opportunity. One such man was William Becknell, a trader from Missouri. Becknell left Missouri and headed for  Santa Fe,  the capital of the Mexican province of New Mexico. With him he brought hardware, cloth and china. By doing so, Becknell created the Santa Fe Trail, and opened up trade between Mexicans and Americans. Because the New Mexicans were eager for new merchandise, trade is very profitable. When Becknell returned,  a crowd of people met him in the street, curious of what he had found. One man picked up one of Becknell’s bags and slit it open with a knife and gold and silver coins spilled from his bag. The crowd was shocked. The news spread that New Mexico was a place where traders
could become rich.
        The next spring, Becknell left for Santa Fe again, but this time he brought a group with him, and used covered wagons for carry his goods. Becknell couldn't take the wagons over the mountain pass he had used previously, so he found a shortcut that avoided steep slopes, but passed through a deadly desert to the south. As the group crossed the desert, they ran out of water and had to instead kill their dogs and mules so that they could drink the animals blood. Finally, the men found a stream and their lives were saved by the water, and they reached Santa Fe, Becknell returned home with another huge profit. Before long, hundreds of traders and wagons braved the cutoff to make the 800-mile journey from Missouri to New Mexico each year.]]> 2017-03-20 17:36:47 UTC https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161270614 408142 https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161272515 When I heard that Becknell had returned, I was very excited, but also nervous. I mean, who knows what he could have found there? I met him in the street along with many others, who were also curious. We asked him about what he found, and how much money he got during the trade. Suddenly, the man next to me pulled out a knife a sliced one of Becknell's sacks open, and I couldn't believe my eyes. There, pouring onto the street, was gold and silver coins. After that, I knew i had to get to Mexico.]]> 2017-03-20 17:41:37 UTC https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161272515 408142 https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161272587 I decided to go along with Becknell on his second journey to Santa Fe, but I didn't expect to experience what happened. Our wagons were to large to use the trail Becknell used before, so we were forced to take a shortcut through the desert. At first I thought it would be fine, we had brought barrels of water and boxes of food with us, but I soon realized how wrong I was. We were only a little more than halfway to Santa Fe when we ran out of water. We were all getting dehydrated from being in the sun, and we needed water fast. In order to attempt to conquer our thirst, we killed the dogs we brought with us and drank their blood. Though that kept us alive, it was barely doing so. We continued on, dehydrated still  ut managing because of the blood when we finally found a stream. It was a gift from god himself. The water tasted so good, and we made it to Santa Fe because of that stream.]]> 2017-03-20 17:41:48 UTC https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161272587 408142 https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161277641 2017-03-20 17:54:33 UTC https://padlet.com/408142/2prlivjkp0l0/wish/161277641