Oregon Trail
How did the Oregon Trail transform the nation?
The Oregon Trail is a 2,200-mile route and emigrant trail that connected the valleys in Oregon and the Missouri River. This trail was the only practical land route for settlers to get to the West Coast. over 500,000 people made the trip in covered wagons pulled by mule and oxen. In 1841 a small band of 70 pioneers left independence, Missouri looking for farm land and took the Oregon Trail. In 1842 a larger group of 100 pioneers made the journey to Oregon also. However, the next year, about 1,000 people went on this route. Because of the increase in people, others wanted to move to Oregon in search for "paradise." The trip usually took 4-6 months by wagon traveling 15 miles a day. Most people would try to leave at the same time, making it very crowded. Once their traveling proceeded, emigrants noticed that they overpacked. They were forced to leave things behind and some even had to walk the whole route. Along the journey, many incidents occurred. People were injured by the wagon, fooling around with weapons, and killing diseases. Some people fell out of the wagon and ended up getting ran over, causing death. There were accidental gunshots and guns that were not known to be loaded. Cholera was a quick killing disease that killed more than half of the people. One major danger that affected the settlers was the weather. During the summer, there was lightning and hail storms, the hail was very large in size and could even kill someone. Throughout the trip settlers watched for certain landmarks to show they were making progress. The most difficult part of the route was the last, it had to be done with a person who was tactful. Mountain passes would be closed due to the winter snows. After 1846, the people could finish their journey by crossing the Cascades on the Barlow road. Once settlers would arrive to their destination, they would start a new life and build their farms.