Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I spent a year building a wooden flatboat and sailing it down the Mississippi to New Orleans. I was fascinated by the history of America's westward expansion and the economic woes of America following the American Revolution. I was entranced by the idea of sailing down the Mississippi River. #2 Yoder built a wooden flatboat and sailed it down the Mississippi to New Orleans. He then bought a cargo of beaver pelts and shipped them to Baltimore, where he sold them at a profit of almost $2,000. He built a reputation for himself as a reliable trader. #3 The first burst of growth in America was due to the inland rivers, which allowed thousands of Scots-Irish and German settlers to sell their goods to the growing population of New Orleans. #4 The American economy was built on the internal river trade. The first burst of growth in America was due to the inland rivers, which allowed thousands of Scots-Irish and German settlers to sell their goods to the growing population of New Orleans.