How Pirates Changed America’s System of Measurements
set up: to design, arrange, construct or establish something
Have you ever wondered why America uses pounds, miles, and Fahrenheit while the rest of the world uses a far more logical metric system? The answer is, surprisingly, pirates! In 1793, a French scientist named Dombey was sent to the USA to meet with Thomas Jefferson. He was carrying a kilogram weight to help America set up a system of measurements. A big storm blew Dombey’s ship into pirate waters, and he was captured! Sadly, Dombey died, and the pirates sold his kilogram weight without knowing its importance. No one can say what would have happened had Dombey successfully made his delivery to Jefferson.
For a fun and fictional look at America’s history of measurement, watch the video below.
Sample sentences
1. The city council is setting up a better public transportation system to reduce traffic.
2. We need to set up a time to meet; how about Saturday at the park?
3. The school set up a new science lab, and now we can do lots of cool experiments.
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