The Oregon Trail Essay example

My life as a female pioneer taking the journey down the Oregon Trail was one of hardship and adventure. During the early 1800s settlers began to explore new territory in the New World looking for new opportunities. Through the pioneer journeys of Lewis and Clark a route through America was discovered that would take settlers to new land in the Pacific Northwest portion of the country. To reach the new land pioneers, such as I, had to travel down what became known as the Oregon Trail.

When the California Gold Rush took off almost everyone wanted to try their luck in California, and the first thing they had to do is get there. If you on the eastern side of the United State or from European you had two choices to get to California they were the sea or land route, but if you were on the Pacific Ocean coast you direct sea route to there. The land route took you across the great United State through some of its most extremes weather and terrain, and traveler had survived the untamed west on their own and what they bring. Also, they had to struggle against diseases outbreaks such as Cholera which the text said, “As many as 1500 travelers died from Cholera along the Overland Trail in 1849” (Gillon, 298). The most popular route

The Oregon tail was the longest overland route in the westward growth in the United States. The Oregon Trail is a 2,200 mile (3,500km) route from Missouri to Oregon and California. The first emigrants to make the journey were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman who made the trip in 1836. Few years later the Whitman Family and eleven other were killed by a party of Cayuse Native American on November 29, 1847. The Oregon Trail helped the United States carry out its cultural goal of Manifest Destiny, that is, to expand the nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Settlers could not leave too early nor too late, if they do decide to leave early there would be no grass for the animals to consume, if they left too late they would have a chance of

The Lewis and Clark expedition was amongst one of the first major American expeditions. This expedition helped the United States advance in science, land as well as gaining many valuable resources. The Lewis and Clark expedition is also an amazing American story. Lewis and Clark went through extraordinary situations to expedite Americas growth and science. They accomplished this expedition with strenuous encounters with the Native Americans.The importance of the Lewis and Clark expedition is derived by the challenges they faced, the encounters they had with Western Indians, and the knowledge gained about the Louisiana territory.

The land route is across the Great Plains along the Oregon Trail or across the continental United States, mainly along the California trail.

The emigrants on the Oregon trail had many troubles faced during their time on the trail due to life threatening diseases. The emigrants on the Oregon Trail had a 10% chance of living if they had gotten a disease. In the essay “Emigrants on the Oregon Trail” Jack Rockefeller

1.Overland Trail from Missouri R. To Oregon&CA long,dangerous,tedious&exhausting-separated from family&homeland-still streamed to W.(5千to O,3千CA in 1845&48)-bc provided economic opportunities& healthy surrounding(appeal to panic of 1837&malaria stroke farmers), also bc men seeking for sense of adventure&women seeking for ideal home-travel in group bc fear of natives&need help passing river&mt- often elected a leader of the “train”-democratic but not accepted unanimously- everyone had to accept benefit/bad of new community.

Americans wanted a new start, own laws, land, better economy and civilization. To more than just many this could be the new start of the perfect life. If living through the oregon trail and its rivers, diseases, etc your new life awaits you.

The Oregon Trail was very important to turn the idea of Manifest Destiny into a reality . The Oregon Trail was the main passage to the West (Brooke). It started in Independence, MO and ended in the western part of the United States. There were many routes apart of the Oregon Trail. Over 400,000 pioneers traveled this 2,000 mile trail between 1840 and 1860 (Andrews). Many were looking to get a fresh start or even become rich with gold, and some did. It worked out for many pioneers to settle in the west, almost creating completely new lives for the pioneers. Therefore, the Oregon Trail did affect people in the U.S. in some good ways. It helped people travel west and start new lives

Life for settlers out on the Oregon Trail was very treasonous. It was a game between life and death. They had to find the perfect balance between taking rest and traveling. Some hardship they could have faced were the diseases. One person could have not been careful and attracted a disease and it could be contagious. Resulting in wiping out the whole community. This would have also slowed down their journey. Another hardship would be winter itself. Crossing the winter through the mountains could lead to many problems like the shortage of food, hypothermia, and death of the animals. In the summer, they could die from dehydration.

Parkman's purpose in writing this book was to inform, through his personal accounts, the lifestyles of Indians and his experiences traveling within the Oregon Trail. He tells the book through his own opinions and through what he has gathered on his journey, whether while out in the wilderness with Indians or fellow horsemen, or while in the “civilian-like” pastimes within a fort called Fort Laramie. Parkman describes the book, for the most part, chronologically, describing events as they occurred and making sure to keep the theme, the Oregon Trail, constant throughout the whole book. This organization is clear, and allows the reader to understand many aspects of the Oregon Trail without ever going off topic.

When people tink about the first people in America, they might think of Christopher Columbus or the European colonists; when, in fact, the first people were the Indians. The Cherokee Indians had lived in the lands of what is now the United States for thousands of years before any colonists had ventured over. Little did they know that the new nation that was going to be forming around them, would severely affect the lives of their descendents.

When they walked the Oregon Trail they faced some huge struggles. One struggle they faced was they left things behind that they wanted. This makes me realize that this must have been really difficult. Another struggle according to www.ducksters.com is that they they walked through thunderstorms and sometimes it would hail and the hail was the size of an apple. Some died because they kept walking through the storm and because of the hail. It must have been hard walking through all of this hail and rain and plus the hail was huge. This makes me think that they got hurt a lot of times. Another struggle according to www.wikipedia.com was that they walked and at times a snake bit them and they died. I can imagine that it must

Women went on the Oregon trail to follow their husbands. Land to the west was a new opportunity for families to have financial freedom and a new start. The west meant new opportunities and a way to get out of debt. Catherine Haun and her husband, middle class and educated, fell into financial hard times. They wanted to go on the journey to get out of their debt. They felt as if heading west would be a firmer way to make money than the ways they tried in the past: “It was a period of National hard times and we being financially involved in our business interest near Clinton, Iowa, longed to go to the new El Dorado and ‘pick up’ gold enough with which to return and pay off our debts” (Haun 166) (Sic). As well as the financial benefit, the Haun’s also saw the journey as romantic. They saw it as a romantic wedding tour, or honeymoon, as they had only been married for a few months (Haun 166). Women also

Another trail that was popular was the Santa Fe Trail. The Santa Fe Trail wasn’t as big as the Oregon Trail but it was still pretty big. The trail was 1,200 miles long, and it was created by William Becknell in 1821. The Santa Fe Trail went from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail was used for a military highway and a vital commercial before the railroad was created in 1880. It was also used to deliver manufactured goods from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Santa Fe Trail created lots of new opportunities for Americans, such as an opportunity to trade goods with Mexico. Another opportunity that the Santa Fe Trail offered was that people could use it for reverse trade, and you could also take supplies to the fur trappers and mountain men. One of the trails that branch off the Santa Fe Trail is the Mule Trail/ the Trapper’s Trail. The Santa Fe Trail created lots of new opportunities for people and their families.