The number of deaths is difficult to calculate as most were buried in unmarked graves, but it is estimated that up to 30,000 people died during the 20-year migration along the Trail. Over the next three decades, 300,000 people would cross the vast plains, travel over the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide, and struggle through Oregon's diverse terrain to reach Oregon City at the End of the Oregon Trail. Why Did People Move West on the Oregon Trail? Many travelers journeyed in companies, while others did not. Early trailblazers. While wagon trains frequently traveled together by choice, factors such as weather and trail conditions often resulted in unintended “bunching” along the route. Hilarity! Learn more about your nation's history with these 10 things about what life on the Oregon Trail was like. Your email address will not be published. The Oregon Trail was an east-to-west wagon route first established by fur traders in the 1830s. Considering the number of deaths on the trail, an even spacing would create a grave every 50 yards, stretching from the Missouri River to Oregon City. Trappers first traveled the Oregon Trail. The Oregon, Mormon Pioneer and California trails all cross Wyoming in the central and most popular corridor of the transcontinental migration of the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. Portions of what was to become the Oregon Trail were first used by trappers, fur traders, and missionaries (c. 1811–40) who traveled on foot and horseback. The first route followed the Santa Fe Trail into Kansas Territory. The original game was designed to teach school children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail. 6:00 pm: Families unpack and make supper. The main causes of deaths along the Oregon/California Trail from 1841 to 1869 were disease, accidents, and weather. In the spring of 1843, a wagon train of nearly 1,000 people organized at Independence, Missouri with plans to reach Oregon Country. As wagons headed west, this trail became more defined. While settlers traveled west along the Oregon Trail for a variety of reasons, most were motivated either by land or gold. The Oregon, Mormon Pioneer and California trails all cross Wyoming in the central and most popular corridor of the transcontinental migration of the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. They had races and played games such as Sheep Over the River, Hide and Seek, Pull the Rope, and Steal-Stick Duck-Stones. Wagons are formed into a corral. The Oregon Trail’s legacy is still felt in the state of Oregon with several literary pieces being written about it. 5:00 pm: When a good campsite with ample water and grass is found, pioneers stop to set up camp for the evening. 'Go West, young man, and grow up with the country,' goes the famous 1851 quote, and many young American men (and women) took the advice. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images. There were two periods of time when Americans went to Oregon. For a modern trip along the Oregon Trail you won't need a covered wagon full of supplies. The original game was designed to teach school children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. In fact, the Oregon Trail is this nation’s longest graveyard. Financial reasons like escaping debt, starting businesses, or raising a farm with fertile soil. One of the important events during his presidency was the journeys of the first settlers along the famous Oregon Trail. 8 Simple Ways You Can Make Your Workplace More LGBTQ+ Inclusive, Fact Check: “JFK Jr. Is Still Alive" and Other Unfounded Conspiracy Theories About the Late President’s Son. Life on the Oregon Trail was both incredibly boring and extremely dangerous. Illnesses such as food poisoning, typhoid and, particularly, cholera were the primary causes of death for travelers on the Oregon Trail. First published by explorer Jedidiah Smith in 1825, it was the only practical way for migrants to make this journey. mollyflan. People rushed to the bank to take out all their money, but the bank ran out. The advantages of the Oregon Territory were legion. The Oregon trail helped many settlers cross to the west to make a better life. Some Americans went to Oregon in the very early 1800s because they wanted to participate in the fur trade. Factors such as the violent and unpredictable prairie storms could cause … To say daily life on the Oregon Trail was difficult is a vast understatement. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon was that groups generally had to embark at approximately the same time each year. Some went to escape problems. Accidents… About 200,000- 400,000 people crossed this trail by wagon. The Oregon Trail, which stretched for about 2,000 miles (3,200 km), flourished as the main means for hundreds of thousands of emigrants to reach the Northwest from the early 1840s through the 1860s. The U.S. Supreme Court: Who Are the Nine Justices on the Bench Today? The route started on the banks of the Missouri River, originally at Independence, then Westport, then Weston across from Fort Leavenworth. The real Oregon Trail was filled with about as many accidents and illnesses, and the National Oregon/California Trail Center says more than 300,000 Americans actually did travel along it at the end of the 19th century. Everyone Has CholeraThe worst outbreaks occurred on the Oregon Trail in 1849, 1850 and 1852. Travelers were inspired by dreams of gold and rich farmlands, but they were also motivated by difficult economic times in the east and diseases like yellow fever and malaria that were decimating the Midwest around 1837. Why did people go on the oregon trail? read more. There were several reasons why settlers went to the Oregon Country. The people on the Oregon Trail wanted to go the Oregon territory, or what is now Washington and Oregon. These letters often told about a good life on the frontier. Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, the trail claimed as many as 30,000 victims or an average of 10-15 deaths per mile. The longest, steepest climb on the Oregon Trail, the hill had an even more dangerous descent. The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. It was an actual trail, mostly connected, created by Indians and trappers. Where did the Oregon Trail begin and end? Tell the students the main reasons why some Americans left for the west:-Free land was available.-Freedom from slavery attracted many people.-Good land for farming meant more and better crops. One historian noted that on a single day in June 1850 more than 6,000 people were on the trail. Less famous but equally exciting at the time were other reports of gold being found in Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and other western states. Historians estimate that about 500,000 people followed trails like the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail. One reason people went was for a spirit of adventure. Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion: Pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail faced many dangers and hardships. mollyflan. Here’s one thing you can say about the lasting legacy of the Oregon Trail, a fact that has lodged the 2,170-mile migration in the minds of generations: The struggle was real.. The Causes for the Oregon Trail. I don't know about all of them but my Great, Great grandfather and his wife and children came out to Oregon in 1852 because his teenage sons wanted to go there for the adventure. 1 decade ago. Favorite Answer. The Oregon Trail went from western Missouri across the Great Plains into the Rocky Mountains to Oregon City, Oregon. 1 decade ago. In popular culture, the Oregon Trail is perhaps the most iconic subject in the larger history of Oregon. Despite the romantic depictions of the covered wagon in movies and on television, it would not have been very comfortable to travel in or sleep in the wagon. Taking the Oregon Trail was not an easy decision because of all the dangers on the trail … The Oregon Trail's nominal termination point was Oregon City, ... With literally thousands of people and thousands of livestock traveling in a fairly small time slot the travelers had to spread out to find clean water, wood, good campsites, and grass. Amidst an overwhelming chorus of naysayers who doubted their success, the so … Over 400,000 people travel West to start a new life and claim new land along the Oregon Trail, including Lucinda Brown. The Oregon Trail was the only land route for settlers seeking to move west and took approximately four to six months, in contrast to the sea route which could take up to a full year. If you're of a certain age, you remember spending hours naming your Oregon Trail family after your own family or friends, guiding their MS-DOS-based adventures, and laughing when brother Stinky Johnny died of dysentery. The answer is not simple, as there was no single route, just a destination: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Oregon Trail was never a clearly defined route. The first migrants who used the trail reached Oregon in 1836, and by 1869 over 400,000 people had made the journey. Others went for adventure and to seek new experiences. Sue Alperin, a founder of Oregon Uniting, created the supplement in part to help kids of color feel included in Oregon’s story. Great Britain also had claims in the Northwest and Mexico in the Southwest; the Bureau of Land Management hypothesizes that some settlers may have been motivated by patriotism to claim land for America. Why did so many people brave such a long journey past much other land where people now live and did live at the time? Facts, information and articles about The Oregon Trail, a part of Westward Expansion from the Wild West. 7:00 pm: Mothers do chores, men smoke and talk, young people dance. Many of them traveled in large wagon trains using covered wagons to carry their belongings. Though the first emigrants to use the Oregon Trail arrived in 1836, the first large-scale mass migration did not occur until 1843 when an estimated 1,000 pioneers set out together. The Trail was about 2,170 miles (3,500 km) long, and could take up to six months to travel. Quick Answer. Where did the Oregon Trail really go? The first migrants who used the trail reached Oregon in 1836, and by 1869 over 400,000 people had made the journey. Many people went to the Oregon Territory to get free farm land. Faced with the hardships of the trail, some people gave up and went back home. The Oregon Trail is a computer game originally developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger in 1971 and produced by MECC in 1974. NOAA Hurricane Forecast Maps Are Often Misinterpreted — Here's How to Read Them. Why did people go on the oregon trail? The answer is not simple, as there was no single route, just a destination: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Oregon Trail was an actual path. Once this happened people saved up for the trip so they wouldn't have to pay the bank any owed money. Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west. The period 1843-1855 saw the heaviest traffic on the Oregon Trail. About 200,000- 400,000 people crossed this trail by wagon. Where did people on the Oregon Trail want to arrive? A COVID-19 Prophecy: Did Nostradamus Have a Prediction About This Apocalyptic Year? Although much of the trail has been built over through the years, around 300 miles of it has been … The length of the wagon trail from the Missouri River to Willamette Valley was about 2,000 miles (3,200 km). Fun Facts. The Louisiana Territory Purchased by the United States Government was one of the important events that are linked to the Oregon Trail. At Oregon City, the pioneers filed land claims and reprovisioned their supplies to start their new lives in the Pacific Northwest. Major threats to pioneer life and limb came from accidents, exhaustion, and disease. Thereafter, migration on the Oregon Trail was an annual event, although the practice of traveling in giant convoys of wagons gave way to many smaller bands of … It changed with the effects of weather and use. Some of the migrants resorted to cannibalism to survive, eating the bodies of those who had succumbed to starvation and sickness. Pioneers had to exercise extreme caution and a lot of bravado to cross the 2,170 mile stretch of land starting in Missouri and ending in Oregon. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center | 541-523-1843 | oregontrail.blm.gov Why did people go to the Oregon Territory? Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west. ... About 20,000 people died on the California Trail between 1841 and 1859 — an average of ten graves for every mile. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. An easier trail was needed. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. It was most heavily used in the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s. CEO Compensation and America's Growing Economic Divide. The route started on the banks of the Missouri River, originally at Independence, then Westport, then Weston across from Fort Leavenworth. Once they finished their farewells to the friends and family they might never see again, it was time for the tough part -- surviving a 2,000 mile journey. For example, it could have been for religious resons like Manifest Destiny and spreading their religion. 3. Lv 6. Relevance. Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies. They also sang and danced. So who were these crazy people, and why did they place their lives and fortunes in jeopardy to reach a land none of them had ever seen? The route started on the banks of the Missouri River, originally at Independence, then Westport, then Weston across from Fort Leavenworth. because the letters and rumors of Oregon Territory's rich and natural beauty. The Oregon trail helped many settlers cross to the west to make a better life. The iconic Conestoga wagon was rarely used on the Oregon Trail. Why did people travel the oregon trail? The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his party of settlers from Independence, Favorite Answer. because the letters and rumors of Oregon Territory's rich and natural beauty. After the discovery of gold in California in 1848, an even larger group of people set out on the overland trails for California. It is estimated that more than 400,000 people used the Oregon Trail. 1:00 pm: Back on the trail. Oregon Trail for kids John Tyler was the 10th American President who served in office from April 4, 1841 to March 4, 1845. Some pioneers did sleep in their wagons. It crossed varied and often difficult terrain that included large territories occupied by Native Americans. Learn more about your nation's history with these 10 things about what life on the Oregon Trail was like. Pioneer settlers were sometimes pulled west because they wanted to make a better living. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. Manifest Destiny was the key factor that led people to the west. Though the Whitmans were forced to abandon their wagons 200 miles short of Oregon, they proved that families could go west by wheeled travel. The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his party of settlers from Independence, Where did the Oregon Trail really go? By 1843, when the first large wagon train was organized, a route existed across the continent from Independence, Missouri to the Pacific Ocean. The Oregon Trail was an actual path. People went on the journey westward for many reasons. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center | 541-523-1843 | oregontrail.blm.gov Why did people go to the Oregon Territory? Answer Save. Wagons hauled goods, but people had to walk 2,000 miles. First published by explorer Jedidiah Smith in 1825, it was the only practical way for migrants to make this journey. I don't know about all of them but my Great, Great grandfather and his wife and children came out to Oregon in 1852 because his teenage sons wanted to go … Oregon Trail: The Oregon Trail is the name given to the route followed by thousands of settlers who headed out to settle the western United States. Cholerathe worst outbreaks occurred on the Oregon Trail faced many dangers and hardships the ground—either in the spring 1843... 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