Passage to The West

THE OREGON TRAIL

Unlike the Santa Fe Trail,thwe Oregon Trail was used by families.Most of them were heading west to set up farms and build homes.

Look at the map.Notice that the Oregon Trail also began in Independence,Missouri.From there it wound 2,000 miles toward the Northwest.It crossed the Great Plains and passed over the Rocky Mountains through the South Pass.Going through a pass,or a low point in the mountains,made the trip easier.After crossing through South Pass,travelers could continue to what is now Oregon.

Some people on the Oregon Trail were heading to California.They hoped to find gold there.Those travelers could turn south from the Oregon Trail onto the California Trail.

Pioneer families traveled the Oregon Trail in wagon trains.As many as one hundred families would move along the trail in a long line of wagons pulled by oxen and mules.A scout,or guide,traveled with the wagon train.The scout knew where food,water,and good stopping places were.

Travelers on the Oregon Trail had to keep moving.It took four to six months to get to the end of the trail.They had to get through the Rocky Mountains before winter came,or snow and ice might trap them in the mountains.A wagon train usually moved no farther than 15 miles each day and stopped only at noon and at nightfall.Breakdowns or accidents might also force them to stop.

The trip west on the Oregon Trail was difficult for travelers.Food,water,and firewood were hard to find along the trail.Sometimes Indians would help pioneers by giving them directions or trading with them.However,not all Indians were friendly.Some Indians felt that they were being forced off their land by the settlers.These Indians would sometimes attack a wagon train.Pioneers were also killed by accidents and sickness during their journey.The days of pioneer travel were long and hard,but the wagon trains moved on.The pioneers looked forward to starting new lines in the West.