What was life like for Mark Twain in Hannibal, MO in the 1830’s?Mark Twain’s America

Map of the USA in 1832

Mark Twain’s America

Fargo

Minneapolis

Hannibal

Map drawn in 1832

Mark Twain’s America

• Fargo and Minneapolis don’t exist yet. • North Dakota and

Minnesota are not states yet. (ND: 1889, MN: 1858)

Map drawn in 1832

Mark Twain’s America

• Towns and farms are far apart.• Can only be reached

on foot or horseback. Travel is slow and difficult.• Boats can’t easily

travel upstream.

Accurate map of the USA in 1832

Mark Twain’s America

Indian relocation in the 1830’s

The “Trail of Tears”

The natural landscape of Missouri.

Hannibal, Missouri in the 1830’s

• small, isolated• surrounded by

forest• steamboat

travel is very new

Steamboats Bring Big Changes

• Steamboats were first brought to New Orleans in 1811.• They change life on

the lower Mississippi• but they don’t reach

Hannibal until 1830.

Steamboats Bring Big Changes

• Transporting people and goods is now quick and easy.• New Orleans to

Hannibal in 3 days.• Piloting a riverboat

was difficult and exciting.

What did Mark Twain do for fun?

Mark Twain’s America

What do you do for fun?

21st CenturyAmerica

What do you do for fun?

21st CenturyAmerica

What did 1830’s kids do for fun?

hunt

ing

fishing

hoop rollingboard games― Checkers― Chess― Nine Men’s MorriceBlind Man's

Bluff

Marbles

dress up & pretenddolls

woo

den

toys

What did Mark Twain do for fun?Mark Twain’s America

But mainly, he spent a lot of time outdoors playing games of imagination, like:• Robin Hood• Pirates• Army battles• Davy Crockett

What did Mark Twain do for fun?Mark Twain’s America

And exploring the natural environment around Hannibal:• caves• islands• forest• river

Mark Twain’s boyhood homeMark Twain’s America

Later on, we’ll explore what Hannibal and the area around it look like today using Google Earth. Find the places where Tom Sawyer has his adventures!