You Get Here From There
When you ask people who they admire the most, they usually answer with familiar names such as Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, or one of the many famous sports players. When you ask them why they admire these people they will respond by listing the person’s accomplishments. There is nothing wrong with that, but a lot of people can accomplish a task. What matters most is how they accomplished this task. Not what they did but how they did it. So when I think of the people I admire the most I think of how they reached their goal. I also think of their personality, and attitude towards problems is a factor in determining if I would want to emulate their personality in my own life. The American history figure James Buchanan Eads is the person I most admire. There are certain characteristics of this exceptional person that make him stand out, they are his analytical, and problem- solving thinking, his perseverance, and lastly his ambitious, pioneering and creative mind .
James Buchanan Eads was one of the greatest civil engineers in American history. He pioneered the design and invention of the first diving bell, which allowed divers to walk along the bottom of water bodies. This allowed him to be able to claim valuable cargos on the bottom of the Mississippi River making himself a millionaire. This creative “out of the box” type of thinking is what I strive to have in my life. He also designed new iron-clad boats for the union during the civil war and solved a sandbar problem in New Orleans, at the Mississippi delta. More famously he designed and built the longest arch bridge of his time which spanned the Mississippi River. It was by far one of the most grueling engineering tasks of the century. When completed there was a parade where an elephant was walked across it, to eliminate people’s fear of the bridge because it was thought that an elephant would not cross a bridge unless it was stable.
While building the Eads Bridge from 1867 to 1874 he encountered numerous problems but was determined to push through them and did. He needed to allow steam boat traffic to continue while construction was taking place so he was the first to implement the cantilever method. He also needed to make a bridge that was strong enough to withstand the currents of the Mississippi and decided to make the bridge out of steel. As the designer of this project he would have to make daily decisions and problem-solve constantly. His analytical way to solve problems inspires me to creatively think of ways to resolve problems within my own life.
Lastly and most arguably one of his best qualities was his perseverance. In all his life he never backed down from a challenge and always completed his projects. While constructing the Eads Bridge and fixing the sand bar problem in New Orleans with jetties he had to deal with constant criticism from the Army Corps of Engineers and constantly support his ideas in which he never abandoned. Eads persevered financially on the Eads Bridge project where he personally had to go out himself and fund-raise for the construction of the bridge when he went over his budget. He also persevered through his childhood difficulties. He dropped out of school to support his family by selling apples on the street but still pursued his knowledge, and became one of the greatest self-educated engineers ever.
I can only hope that I will possess the strength and self determination that James Buchanan Eads possessed and create my own path in life. Throughout my life I will use him as an inspirational and motivational figure. I will also remember that it’s just not about reaching your end goal but its how you get there.
When you ask people who they admire the most, they usually answer with familiar names such as Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, or one of the many famous sports players. When you ask them why they admire these people they will respond by listing the person’s accomplishments. There is nothing wrong with that, but a lot of people can accomplish a task. What matters most is how they accomplished this task. Not what they did but how they did it. So when I think of the people I admire the most I think of how they reached their goal. I also think of their personality, and attitude towards problems is a factor in determining if I would want to emulate their personality in my own life. The American history figure James Buchanan Eads is the person I most admire. There are certain characteristics of this exceptional person that make him stand out, they are his analytical, and problem- solving thinking, his perseverance, and lastly his ambitious, pioneering and creative mind .
James Buchanan Eads was one of the greatest civil engineers in American history. He pioneered the design and invention of the first diving bell, which allowed divers to walk along the bottom of water bodies. This allowed him to be able to claim valuable cargos on the bottom of the Mississippi River making himself a millionaire. This creative “out of the box” type of thinking is what I strive to have in my life. He also designed new iron-clad boats for the union during the civil war and solved a sandbar problem in New Orleans, at the Mississippi delta. More famously he designed and built the longest arch bridge of his time which spanned the Mississippi River. It was by far one of the most grueling engineering tasks of the century. When completed there was a parade where an elephant was walked across it, to eliminate people’s fear of the bridge because it was thought that an elephant would not cross a bridge unless it was stable.
While building the Eads Bridge from 1867 to 1874 he encountered numerous problems but was determined to push through them and did. He needed to allow steam boat traffic to continue while construction was taking place so he was the first to implement the cantilever method. He also needed to make a bridge that was strong enough to withstand the currents of the Mississippi and decided to make the bridge out of steel. As the designer of this project he would have to make daily decisions and problem-solve constantly. His analytical way to solve problems inspires me to creatively think of ways to resolve problems within my own life.
Lastly and most arguably one of his best qualities was his perseverance. In all his life he never backed down from a challenge and always completed his projects. While constructing the Eads Bridge and fixing the sand bar problem in New Orleans with jetties he had to deal with constant criticism from the Army Corps of Engineers and constantly support his ideas in which he never abandoned. Eads persevered financially on the Eads Bridge project where he personally had to go out himself and fund-raise for the construction of the bridge when he went over his budget. He also persevered through his childhood difficulties. He dropped out of school to support his family by selling apples on the street but still pursued his knowledge, and became one of the greatest self-educated engineers ever.
I can only hope that I will possess the strength and self determination that James Buchanan Eads possessed and create my own path in life. Throughout my life I will use him as an inspirational and motivational figure. I will also remember that it’s just not about reaching your end goal but its how you get there.
Explanation
I wrote this essay because in school I haven't written a fist person essay in a while and I wanted to tell a story about an American hero who has largely been forgotten. I thoroughly analyze his life and explain his significance in regards to being a notable example of someone who was able to push through life difficulties to achieve their American Dream. I also picked Eads because he is an inventor/ architect which directly relates to my position statement. He is also a prime example of person who utilizes their "human liberty" and takes advantage of all the opportunities American society and the American landscape provides. He even expands human liberty as he opens up the lands west of the Mississippi River to future settlement. The bridge accommodated foot traffic as well as railroad traffic which was seen as the time as important in the development of communities in the west. Railroads intertwined and interlocked the entire nation together with increased communication that allowed the nation to expand but at the same time grow closer together.
After reflecting deeply it is my hope that American individuals will be able to draw inspiration from and emulate a certain American hero they discovered. Hopefully someone that can be realatable to them. I hope they will draw strength from the person they choose in order to help them through their dilemmas.
I wrote this essay because in school I haven't written a fist person essay in a while and I wanted to tell a story about an American hero who has largely been forgotten. I thoroughly analyze his life and explain his significance in regards to being a notable example of someone who was able to push through life difficulties to achieve their American Dream. I also picked Eads because he is an inventor/ architect which directly relates to my position statement. He is also a prime example of person who utilizes their "human liberty" and takes advantage of all the opportunities American society and the American landscape provides. He even expands human liberty as he opens up the lands west of the Mississippi River to future settlement. The bridge accommodated foot traffic as well as railroad traffic which was seen as the time as important in the development of communities in the west. Railroads intertwined and interlocked the entire nation together with increased communication that allowed the nation to expand but at the same time grow closer together.
After reflecting deeply it is my hope that American individuals will be able to draw inspiration from and emulate a certain American hero they discovered. Hopefully someone that can be realatable to them. I hope they will draw strength from the person they choose in order to help them through their dilemmas.