Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was also known as the Oregon-California Trail Migration and was a 2,170 mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California. This route allowed the migration of the early pioneers to the Western United States. The first emigrants to make the trip were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman who made the trip in 1836. After that the first mass migration did not occur until 1843 when about 1000 pioneers made the journey at once.
Challenges FacedOne of the challenges faced while traveling on the Oregon Trail was disease because if one person catches a disease in a wagon or camp the disease spreads very quickly. Some of the diseases that were spreading around at that time were cholera, smallpox, flu, measles, mumps, and tuberculosis.
Another challenge that people faced while traveling on the Oregon Trail was crossing rivers because when wagon's crossed the rivers the wagons can be flipped over, the animals and people can drown, and the people can lose the valuable supplies that they desperately need. Also another challenge faced while traveling on the Oregon Trail was Native American attacks, but these did not happen very often because the Native Americans were nice more often than not. Some other challenges that were faced on the Oregon trail were being run over by wagons, weather (lightning, hailstorms), winter snow closed mountain passes, accidental firearm shootings, stampeding livestock, snakebites, and gunpowder explosions. There were estimated that there were 20,000 deaths on the 2170 mile trail. |
TravelingThe Oregon Trail was the only route to get the settlers to the West Coast and this route was a 4-6 month trip by wagon pulled by a mule or oxen. This 4-6 month journey on the Oregon Trail was much shorter than the year long trip to the West Coast by Sea. When the travelers traveled they traveled in farm wagons. These farm wagons carried tool boxes, 1000 pounds of food, water, spare axles, and many other supplies for the 4-6 month journey.
California or OregonOnce the people have made the 4-6 month journey on the Oregon Trail and have either reached California or Oregon the settlers usually either start a new gold mine or they build a new farm to raise livestock and grow crops.
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