The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is one of the more known paths to the west. The Oregon Trail is a 3,500 kilometer (2,200 mile) wagon journey in which thousands of people traveled during 1811 to 1840. The route was mostly traveled by fur trappers and traders. In 1836 the first wagon train was organized to lead those near the Missouri River to the valleys of Oregon. As more people traveled and improved the roads the journey was safer and faster each year. The Oregon trail had various starting points but three main ones in Missouri, Iowa, and, Nebraska territory, these three routes eventually merged near Fort Kearny. From approximately 1830-1837 the trail was used by 400,000 people. The categories of those who traveled the trail varied diversely from ranchers, farmers, miners, and, businessman alike. The eastern half of the Oregon Trail was also used for parts of the Mormon Trail and the Santa Fe Trail. Parts of the Oregon Trail had established United States army forts allowing them to protect pioneers and the land. However the Oregon Trail crossed multiple Indian Territories and being raided by the Natives was a common occurrence for those who poached to deep into their territory. Disease plagued the Oregon trail, many pioneers caught dysentery and due to the large groups they traveled in once one caught it shortly all in the party caught it. But it wasn't just dysentery, pneumonia was caught by many due to the little rest pioneers got and the frequent cold nights. Use of the Oregon Trail declined with invention of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, however by then the Oregon Trail had been one of the largest emigrations in American history. Today the Oregon Trail route can still be traveled by Interstate 80.
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A map of the Oregon Trail
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The Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe trail was a transportation route that was established in 1821 to use for commercial purposes and trade with America and Mexico. The Santa Fe trail popularized large wagon train emigration and the term Manifest Destiny, the belief in that America should spread west as much as it commonly associated with the goal of spreading democracy. The route not only allowed for America to trade with Mexico but it was vital to America's more Southwest states. The South West states were able to receive manufactured products from the Northeast and this help spread product variation and good use to the products in the Great Plains region. The Santa Fe trail also helped the Fur Trappers to get their products to more customers. The Santa Fe trail boosted the Economy in both east and west U.S. The Santa Fe route also help get food and supplies to the settlements in The Rockies and Northwest, Mid-North. The majority of the Santa Fe trail in it's North to west route was in the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas(Republic of Texas for Majority of the routes relevant lifespan), New Mexico, and, Colorado. In 1846 the Santa Fe trail was a key route for troop transport during the Mexican-American War. They were many hardships travelers faced while traversing the Santa Fe trail. During early travelling the Comanches territories that the trail passed through charged travelers to pass through. However many Americans grew angry with the this and pushed them out, opening room for U.S. settlements. America began to establish forts on the trail to protect travelers however they increased tensions between America and Mexico. These tensions led to the Mexican-American war which made the trail very dangerous to travelers, Ultimately the war stopped the trading between the two countries and made the route high risk, with dysentery and many other problems faced on the Oregon trail, and low reward. Once the war was over the trade picked back up but by then it was made nearly obsolete by the railroad on it's path.
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A map of the Santa Fe trail
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The Mormon Trail
The Mormon trail is the 2,092 kilometer trail(1,300 miles) traveled by members of The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints. The Mormon trail expands from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah, crossing through Nebraska, Iowa, and, Wyoming. The Mormon trail was driven from Mormons seeking escape from religious prosecution. The Mormon trail was the most established and safest trail out of the three for most of it's relevant lifespan. The Mormons established settlements and crops to harvest for later emigrants, making the trail safer each year. The first journey conducted under the leadership of Brigham Young, his followers established settlements in Iowa and Nebraska which allowed for breaks along the trail. The largest group residing in Winter's Quarters, Nebraska. At the time Salt Lake Valley, the destination, was outside of the United States Borders. Young had thought that the Church should settle upon unwanted lands to not be disturbed and led the Vanguard Company, comprised of 14 military companies, to the isolated Great Basin in 1847. The trail spread the Mormon religion to natives across the trail. Many people converted from the Europe and the Great Britain Isles. However among the emigrants were the two handcart companies led by James G. Willie and Edward Martin, met doom as did many others who left delayed and suffered heavy snowstorms in Wyoming. The largest unique downside to the Mormon Trail was how precise the time of departure must be due to it being in the northern region, a day late and hail and harsh winters would fall upon. The snowstorms caused at least 210 out of 980 confirmed deaths and the destruction of vital supplies leading to illness. The Mormon trail was a heavily populated route for 20 years, by the completion of the first continental railroad in 1869 it was traversed by Mormons via train.
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A map of the Mormon Trail
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