Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis

In July of 1927, Lindbergh worked feverishly to write a first-hand account of his flight, which he called WE. He then embarked on a nationwide tour to promote aviation in The Spirit of St. Louis. His tour was financially backed by Harry Guggenheim, an aviation advocate. The ambitious tour would have Lindbergh landing in each of the (then) forty-eight states according to a rigid timetable. By adhering to a rigid timetable, Lindbergh and Guggenheim wanted to show that aviation could be reliable. Lindbergh traveled 22,340 miles on the tour, and was only late for one stop due to fog. Lindbergh had a dramatic impact on public perception of air travel. New airports were being constructed, and airmail services were being funded at unprecedented rates.

Two months later, Lindbergh accepted an invitation by the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Dwight Morrow, to fly to...