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.The gon Territory.By the early 1840s,northern border of the United States American settlers were beginning towas simply extended west to the Pa- brave the 2,000-mile (3,219-km) jour-cific Ocean but excluded Vancouverney from Missouri to Oregon.MostIsland, which remained British terri- settled near the Willamette River, atory.The Senate ratified the treaty intributary of the larger ColumbiaJune 1846.Oregon passed peacefullyRiver.into the United States.DANGERS OF THE TRAILMen, women, and children whoSee also: Oregon Trail; Whitman,dared to travel the Oregon Trail facedMarcus and Narcissa.many dangers and hardships.The dis-FURTHERREADINGtance alone was a major obstacle.Merk, Frederick.History of the WestwardMost settlers who went on the trailMovement.New York: Alfred A.Knopf,journeyed as organized groups called1978.wagon trains.Families banded to-Nugent, Walter.Habits of Empire: A Historygether and chose a leader.There wasof American Expansion.New York: Alfredstrength and safety in numbers.AtA.Knopf, 2008.first, Native American tribes alongthe route were not a concern, but asOregon Trailmore and more wagon trains headedDuring the 1840s and through thewest across their land, tribes would1860s, major route west from Mis-often attack the settlers, who circledsouri to the Oregon Territory.Al-their wagons at night and postedthough there were other routes thatsentries to prevent surprise attacks.pioneers took to the Pacific coast ofMore often, Native Americans wouldthe future United States before theshadow a train and try to run off cat-coming of the railroads, the Oregontle or horses so they could captureTrail was the primary route.them.Many tribes would demandtrades to allow settlers to pass throughORIGINS OF THE TRAILtheir land.Americans had first visited the PacificThe weather was another majorNorthwest in the 1790s.The Lewisconcern.Wagon trains would leaveand Clark expedition went throughMissouri in late spring.If a wagonthe area in 1805 1806, followed bytrain left too early, there would befur traders seeking beaver pelts toinsufficient grass and food for thefuel the clothing fashions of the time.horses, oxen, and mules pulling theHearing reports about the NativeAmerican tribes in the area, Protes- wagons and taken along for food.If atant missionaries began to enter Ore- wagon train left too late, it wouldgon in the 1830s.Their stories, as encounter the dreaded heavy snow-well as the reports spread eastward storms in the Rockies.If this hap-by mountain men and fur traders, pened, a wagon train could beMajor Trails WestSettlers of the American West used several dangerous trails to reach their new homes.Pioneers encountered rough terrain, raging rivers, harsh weather, and wild animals.Also, Native Americans, who were protecting their homelands, often attacked thepioneers wagon trains and stole the settlers cattle.64 Oregon Trail*'stranded for days or weeks and per- See also: Oregon Country.haps run out of food and water.AFURTHERREADINGtypical wagon train would take asBlashfield, Jean F.The Oregon Trail.Mankato,long as six months to reach Oregon.Minn.: Compass Point Books, 2001.Fording rivers often proved to beDary, David.The Oregon Trail: An Americanhard work.The name of the PlatteSaga.New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 2004.River comes from the French wordMcNeese, Timothy.The Oregon Trail: Thefor  broad, shallow, and flat, whichPathway to the West.New York: ChelseaHouse Publishers, 2009.the stream was most of the time.Melt-ing snow from the Rockies, however,could result in a deep river impossi-ble to cross.Many of the rivers en- Panama Canalcountered along the way had highCompleted in 1914 by the Unitedbanks, forcing the early travelers toStates, channel across the Isthmus ofsearch for places easier to cross.ManyPanama in Central America.U.S.streams also contained areas ofinterest in a water route across thequicksand that could be deadly fornarrow isthmus grew during thethose unlucky enough to encounternineteenth century as the nationsuch places.grew from sea to sea.A ship travelingBuffalo herds were yet anotherfrom New York to San Francisco haddanger.Numerous eyewitness ac-to steam 14,000 miles (22,530 km)counts describe the horror felt byaround Cape Horn at the southern tipwagon trains that encountered herdsof South America.A canal would re-of thousands of buffalo.A stampededuce the miles to 6,000 (9,656 km).could destroy or seriously damage aWhen the United States learnedwagon train.Any wagon train near-of British interest in Central Americaing such large herds had to be veryfor the same reason, Secretary of Statecautious and be prepared to fight forJohn Clayton negotiated a treaty inits survival.1850 that promised cooperation be-tween the two countries if a canalIMPORTANCE OF THE TRAILwas built [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]