Ben and I collaboratively read Unit 6/Chapter 24 in his text: 'Reshaping the Nation,' covering the period from 1815 - 1917. We learned that the Pony Express, which emerged in the 1860's and connected the East and West, was rendered obsolete with the building of telegraphy line, allowing for messages to be delivered instantly. We also read about the first transcontinental railroad and learned how it led to an explosion in the population in the west, and how post civil-war prosperity created a demand for beef demand for cowhands or cowboys. We finished out the session discussing how the need for local lawmen or vigilantes to control the cowboys led to the myth of the Wild West - even the the West was no more wild than the rest of the country. Ben enjoyed learning about one of the most famous peace officers of the western frontier, Wyatt Earp. He was surprised to learn that there really was an OK Corral, Kin's participation in a gunfight made him a famous figure of the wild West.