Charles LindberghCharles Lindbergh

& the Spirit of St. & the Spirit of St. LouisLouis

Power point created by Robert MartinezPrimary Content Source: A History of US, War, Peace, and All That Jazz; by Joy Hakim

In 1919, a wealthy hotel man, Raymond In 1919, a wealthy hotel man, Raymond Orteig, offered a prize of $25,000 to Orteig, offered a prize of $25,000 to

anyone who could fly from New York to anyone who could fly from New York to Paris. Several pilots tried for the prize. Paris. Several pilots tried for the prize.

No one collected.No one collected.

In 1927, competition got fierce. In 1927, competition got fierce. Besides the money, everyone knew Besides the money, everyone knew there would be much glory for the there would be much glory for the pilot who first crossed the Atlantic pilot who first crossed the Atlantic

Ocean.Ocean.

In April, Richard E. Byrd took off, In April, Richard E. Byrd took off, crashed, and broke his wrist.crashed, and broke his wrist.

That same April, two pilots set out That same April, two pilots set out from Virginia, crashed, and were from Virginia, crashed, and were

killed. In early May, two French aces killed. In early May, two French aces left Paris, headed out over the left Paris, headed out over the

Atlantic, and were never heard of Atlantic, and were never heard of again.again.

In mid-May, three planes were being In mid-May, three planes were being made ready. Newspapers were full made ready. Newspapers were full

of their stories. The competition had of their stories. The competition had captured the imagination of people captured the imagination of people

on both sides of the Atlantic.on both sides of the Atlantic.

Most of the newspaper attention Most of the newspaper attention focused on Byrd, who was famous focused on Byrd, who was famous and eager to try again. His plane and eager to try again. His plane

had three engines and a well-had three engines and a well-trained crew.trained crew.

The second plane, with two The second plane, with two engines, was to be flown by two engines, was to be flown by two

experienced pilots. The third plane, experienced pilots. The third plane, a small single-engine craft, could a small single-engine craft, could

hold only one person. It was called hold only one person. It was called the the Spirit of St. LouisSpirit of St. Louis..

The The Spirit of St. LouisSpirit of St. Louis got its name, got its name, from a group of St. Louis from a group of St. Louis

businessmen who helped pay for businessmen who helped pay for the plane.the plane.

The pilot, Charles Lindbergh, was The pilot, Charles Lindbergh, was little known. He’d been a little known. He’d been a

barnstormer, a pilot who went barnstormer, a pilot who went around doing trick flying, circles around doing trick flying, circles and loops and daredevil things.and loops and daredevil things.

Lindbergh would take people on Lindbergh would take people on plane rides for $5 a spin.plane rides for $5 a spin.

Charles Lindbergh picture on left.

That was the kind of thing most That was the kind of thing most pilots did in those days. People pilots did in those days. People

didn’t use airplanes for didn’t use airplanes for transportation. Trains were used to transportation. Trains were used to

get places.get places.

Airplanes? No one was quite sure Airplanes? No one was quite sure where the future of aviation lay. where the future of aviation lay. But if planes could fly across the But if planes could fly across the ocean safely, they might have an ocean safely, they might have an

important future.important future.

Lindbergh was a good pilot. He was Lindbergh was a good pilot. He was the first man to fly the U.S. mail the first man to fly the U.S. mail

from St. Louis to Chicago.from St. Louis to Chicago.

And the first to survive four forced And the first to survive four forced parachute jumps (forced because parachute jumps (forced because

his planes developed problems and his planes developed problems and crashed.)crashed.)

Something about him attracted Something about him attracted people. Partly it was his looks. He people. Partly it was his looks. He was tall, six-foot-two, thin, with was tall, six-foot-two, thin, with

light, curly hair and a boyish grin. light, curly hair and a boyish grin. He looked younger than his 25 He looked younger than his 25

years.years.

He was quiet, and was always more He was quiet, and was always more at ease with machines, or nature, at ease with machines, or nature,

than with people. He’d grown up in than with people. He’d grown up in Minnesota, where his father was a Minnesota, where his father was a

congressman.congressman.

Lindbergh never did well in school, Lindbergh never did well in school, maybe because he went to a maybe because he went to a

different school almost every year. different school almost every year. But he was smart enough to do a lot But he was smart enough to do a lot

of reading.of reading.

It was 8 a.m. on May 20 when he It was 8 a.m. on May 20 when he took off. The weather wasn’t good, took off. The weather wasn’t good,

but he was anxious to beat the but he was anxious to beat the others, and he was used to flying others, and he was used to flying the mail in all kinds of weather.the mail in all kinds of weather.

His little plane carried so much His little plane carried so much gasoline that some people thought gasoline that some people thought it would never get into the air. But it would never get into the air. But Lindbergh had planned carefully. Lindbergh had planned carefully.

There wasn’t an extra ounce on the There wasn’t an extra ounce on the plane.plane.

He sat in a light wicker chair and He sat in a light wicker chair and carried little besides the fuel, a carried little besides the fuel, a

quart of water, a paper sack full of quart of water, a paper sack full of sandwiches, and a rubber raft.sandwiches, and a rubber raft.

There was no parachute, it would There was no parachute, it would be of no use over the ocean, and be of no use over the ocean, and

there was no radio. He would be on there was no radio. He would be on his own once he left the East Coast.his own once he left the East Coast.

Lindbergh headed out to sea, and Lindbergh headed out to sea, and people around the world learned of people around the world learned of

it on their radios.it on their radios.

That evening, during a boxing That evening, during a boxing match at Yankee Stadium, the match at Yankee Stadium, the

spectators rose and said a prayer spectators rose and said a prayer for Charles Lindbergh, somewhere for Charles Lindbergh, somewhere

over the Atlantic Ocean. over the Atlantic Ocean.

Lindbergh had to stay awake or Lindbergh had to stay awake or crash. After eight or ten hours of crash. After eight or ten hours of sitting in one place he began to sitting in one place he began to doze. The night before the flight he doze. The night before the flight he had been so excited, that he had had been so excited, that he had not slept at all.not slept at all.

Luckily the plane was frail. It Luckily the plane was frail. It banged about in the wind, and each banged about in the wind, and each

time he started to nod it went time he started to nod it went spiraling down toward the water. spiraling down toward the water.

That woke him.That woke him.

Then miraculously, the fatigue Then miraculously, the fatigue ended, he looked down, and there ended, he looked down, and there was Ireland. Lindbergh was exactly was Ireland. Lindbergh was exactly where the charts said he should be.where the charts said he should be.

Cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis.

Lindbergh didn’t know that his Lindbergh didn’t know that his plane was spotted over Ireland and plane was spotted over Ireland and the news radioed to America and the news radioed to America and France. People cheered and wept France. People cheered and wept

with relief.with relief.

He was seen over London, and then He was seen over London, and then over the English Channel.over the English Channel.

Thirty-three and a half hours after Thirty-three and a half hours after he left the United States, he circled he left the United States, he circled

the Eiffel Tower in Paris.the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

It had taken less time than he It had taken less time than he expected, so he was worried that no expected, so he was worried that no one would be at the airport to meet one would be at the airport to meet him.him. Then he looked down and saw Then he looked down and saw a mob of people. They were waving a mob of people. They were waving

and screaming.and screaming.

The young flyer, who had brought The young flyer, who had brought nothing with him but the paper bag nothing with him but the paper bag with sandwiches, was carried about with sandwiches, was carried about on shoulders and hugged and kissed on shoulders and hugged and kissed and cheered.and cheered.

Charles Lindbergh was soon Charles Lindbergh was soon meeting kings and princes and meeting kings and princes and

more crowds of admirers.more crowds of admirers.

He wanted to stay in Europe and see the He wanted to stay in Europe and see the sights, but President Calvin Coolidge sights, but President Calvin Coolidge sent a naval cruiser to Europe just to sent a naval cruiser to Europe just to

carry him and the Spirit of St. Louis back carry him and the Spirit of St. Louis back to America. He was a world hero.to America. He was a world hero.

Charles Lindbergh &President Calvin Coolidge.

All over America there were parades All over America there were parades and dinners and celebrations for the and dinners and celebrations for the

man they called “Lone Eagle.” People man they called “Lone Eagle.” People went wild with pride and excitement.went wild with pride and excitement.

By the way, Lindbergh collected the By the way, Lindbergh collected the prize check.prize check.