Oregon Trail
The Oregon trail was a trip what was believed to lead to a better life, they were on a trip for gold and glory. The trail went approximately 2,000 miles.The vast region that stretches from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean is one of the most extraordinary landscapes on Earth. Tourists come from all over to see its mountains, canyons, deserts, and plains To American settlers east of the Mississippi River, this great expanse of grasslands, mountains, and deserts was the West. For all its beauty, the West was a challenging environment. Look at the names that settlers gave to its features. Where else in the United States can you find a mountain range called the Crazies, a scorching desert named Death Valley, a blood-red canyon called Flaming Gorge, or a raging river known as the River of No Return?Despite its geographic challenges, the West was never empty.
Perhaps as many as 3 million American Indians lived there before Europeans arrived. These first westerners were far more diverse in language and culture than the Europeans who claimed their land. For most Americans in the early 1800s, however, the West was mostly a blank map. By 1850, it had become the land of opportunity. The West boasted wide-open spaces and great wealth in timber, gold, silver, and other natural resources. It became a magnet for immigrants and for easterners looking for a new start in life. As Americans began their westward trek, they created new markets for eastern merchants. In time, the West changed the nation’s economy and politics. It also created folklore of “rugged individualism” that has become a lasting part of American culture. Newspaperman Horace Greeley captured the growing enthusiasm for “going west” when he wrote, “If you have no family or friends to aid you, and no prospect [opportunity] opened to you . . . turn your face to the Great West, and there build up a home and fortune.”In the early Spring, emigrant campers would infiltrate Independence, Missouri and set up camp, waiting for the grass to grow along the Oregon Trail. While waiting, the emigrants would stock up on supplies, try to locate friends, and make other preparations for their journey. If they left too early, there would be no grass for their animals to eat which could be a fatal mistake. If they left too late, they would get caught by the winter snows.Most settlers traveled in farm wagons, four feet by ten feet, with a thousand pounds of food. These wagons had cotton covers treated with linseed oil to keep the rain out. Many were equipped with tool boxes, water containers, and spare axles as breaking an axle without a spare meant abandoning the wagon. When the time finally came to leave, the settlers would all try to leave at once creating a massive traffic jam further hindered by the inexperience of some of the green east coast teams. As their traveling progressed, most realized they had overpacked and were forced to lighten their loads by throwing things overboard. Because of the heavy loads, many were forced to walk the 2,170 mile journey instead of ride in the wagon. There were many accidents along the way including being run over by the wagons which meant certain death. Another common accident was accidental gun shots from people fooling around with guns or from half-cocked pistols in the wagons. Another problem for the travelers was Cholera. Some wagon trains lost two-thirds of their people to this quick killing disease. Bodies were usually left on the side of the road or buried in shallow graves which allowed animals to dig them up and scatter their bones along the trail. This proved to be very unnerving for many of the pioneers. One common misconception about the travelers journey is that the biggest danger was the Indians or Native Americans. Many movies show the pioneers circling their wagons each night to protect themselves from the threat of the Native Americans. In reality, the wagons were circled to provide a convenient corral for livestock. The Native Americans were actually friendly more often than not. Encounters most often involved simple trades and there were very few of the pioneers that actually died at the hands of the Native Americans in the so-called massacres. The most notable of the massacres was the Gratten Massacre. A cow wandered from an emigrant wagon train and a nearby Sioux village found it and ate it. Twenty-eight men lead by Lt. Gratten set out to make the Sioux Indians pay for their mistake. When the troops got to the Sioux village, the Indians realized their mistake and offered a horse in return. Gratten ordered his men to fire on the tribe. The Indians were ordered by their chief not to fight back, but Gratten turned and shot the chief. This lead to an all out war with the Sioux Indians than went on for decades. Another major danger to the settlers was weather. Traveling in the summer meant dealing with thunder storms, lightening and hail. Many were killed by lightning or hail the size of baseballs. All in all, one in ten did not survive the journey. About one third of the way through the trip, the settlers would pass the landmarks of Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff. This signified they were making progress. The next major milestone was Fort Laramie, which is now in the state of Wyoming. Here they would rest and restock supplies before setting out on the last leg. From Fort Laramie to Fort Bridger, the Mormon trail and the Oregon Trail were one in the same. Upon reaching Fort Bridger, the Mormons headed south for Salt Lake and those bound for California and Oregon continued Northwest. The final third of the trail was the most difficult and had to be done with expediency. Winter snows would close the mountain passes and travel was a race with time. In the early years, before the Barlow road was opened, travelers would have to abandon their wagons for boats and float down the Columbia river. Many lost their lives in the rapids and rough parts just miles from their destination. After 1846, and upon paying a toll, the pioneers could finish their journey by crossing the Cascades on the Barlow road. Once in Oregon and California, settlers would start a new life and build farms or set off to the gold mines. Whether crossing the county in this way was worth the trouble or not, only the early pioneers would know. Q:How did it transform the nation?
A: |
Would you survive the trail? |