John Wesley Powell's Contributions

John Wesley Powell was born and raised in the midwest in 1834. He also fought in the Civil War and had an amputation. His life serves as an example of how a soldier deals successfully without a limb while facing challenges such as disease and infection. In addition, Powell’s life illustrates how he adapted to his disability. Details about his disability is John was fighting in the Battle of Shiloh. He got shot in the wrist by a minie ball (Ray 9). He got an infection two days later and got an amputation just below the elbow (10). When people get an amputation, they do not have bone to grow back, so it would be gone for the rest of that person’s life. An interesting fact about the causes of amputation are the environmental and natural causes. Environmental causes can cause infection in the wound because bacteria can get in the wound and
He fought in the Civil war for the Union (10), and after the war he went to explore the rapids in Colorado (22). John had said,“When we have run the rapids, nothing is more exhilarating.... It must be something like battle at the point of victory, or something much more agreeable… a smooth calm stream, running only at the rate of five or six miles per hour, is a horror we all detest now.... Danger is our life” (Waldman 20). Another reason how he is famous is after he explored there, was rapid growth in Colorado (Souza 48). Most people were scared of the rapids and he wanted to explore it for that reason (Waldman 6). John was a different kind of explorer because he only had one arm (Waldman 8). He also was in a small wooden boat by himself going down the rapids for 2,000 miles (10). He should be most recognized for climbing with his crew on Long’s Peak (25), but when he got to 800 feet he got stuck (26). He was flailing from 800 feet in the air. After he got up there with his crew, they kept climbing. He climbed up to 1,500 feet (27). In 1871 after he came back with his crew he, went