In 1858 many of the
1,800 wagons
traveling the Santa Fe Trail carried military supplies. In 1862 the Civil War arrived in the West. Confederates from Texas pushed up the Rio Grande Valley into New Mexico, intent on seizing the territory and Fort Union, and ultimately the rich Colorado gold fields.
Why did most people travel the Santa Fe Trail?
The Santa Fe Trail was
mainly a trade route but saw its share of emigrants
, especially during the California Gold Rush and the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in Colorado. The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express.
How long did it take to travel the Santa Fe Trail?
How long did it take to travel the Trail? For most people, it took
8 to 10 weeks
to travel by wagon train between Independence or Westport, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
How long did the 800 mile journey across the Santa Fe Trail take?
The wagons were designed for travel over rough, level terrain. Covering about 15-18 miles per day, the 800-mile journey took
about two months
(USDOI 1976). In the following years, the Santa Fe Trail served as a vital commercial and military highway.
What problems did the travelers face on the Santa Fe Trail?
While some travelers made the trip without incident, the
unforgiving climate, illness, mechanical failures, starvation, dehydration, and the potential for violent encounters
created an array of challenges to prepare for and overcome. While some struck it rich, others lost their fortunes, their health, or their lives.
Who traveled the California Trail?
The Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada through which the trail passed were first explored by
British and American fur trappers
. U.S. trapper, explorer and fur trader Jedediah Smith led two expeditions into California and over the Sierra Nevada and back from 1826 to 1829.
Why is Santa Fe important?
Santa Fe is the site of both the oldest public building in America, the Palace of the Governors and the nation’s oldest community celebration, the Santa Fe Fiesta, established in 1712 to commemorate the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico in the summer of 1692.
Can I drive the Santa Fe Trail?
Car.
You can reach most trail sites by auto or bicycle, or on foot
. Some sites are along unpaved roads. A family of road signs has been initiated across the Santa Fe Trail to help you find original routes, trail crossings, and local sites.
When was the Santa Fe Trail last used?
From 1821 until
1846
, the Santa Fe Trail was a two-way international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders.
What did they trade on the Santa Fe Trail?
Furs, wool fleeces and woven goods, silver and mules
traveled from Mexico for trade in the United States. Millions of dollars in merchandise traveled this 900 mile international trade route.
What state did the Santa Fe Trail end?
In 1987, after a lengthy application and documentation process, a state commission gave
El Monte state
historical landmark status as the end of the Santa Fe Trail.
How did the Santa Fe Trail affect the natives?
These Indians of the plains, through which the Santa Fe Trail passed,
lived by hunting the buffalo
, which thrived even in the winter on the short, nutritious buffalo grass, growing 2 or 3 inches high in patches over the plains.
How long did the California Trail journey last?
It was most heavily used in the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s. The length of the wagon trail from the Missouri River to Sacramento, California was about 1,950 miles (3,138 km). It normally took
four to six months
to traverse the length of the California Trail with covered wagons pulled by oxen.
Where did people stop on the California Trail?
Learn about the Mormon Trail at the California Trail Interpretive Center. This journey for these immigrants began in 1846 in Nauvoo, Illinois, and ended in
Salt Lake City, Utah
.
Why did people want to go on the California Trail?
Over 250,000 people headed west on the California Trail
to a land of opportunity, freedom, riches, and adventure
. Decisions were made, routes chosen, and supplies bought in preparation for migration west. … People came for reasons including economics, adventure, health, and ideas like Manifest Destiny.
Is Santa Fe the oldest city in the US?
Residents are primarily Hispanic, Anglo and Native American people. Situated at 7,000 feet in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains,
Santa Fe is the highest and oldest capital in the U.S.
Founded between 1607 and 1610, it’s America’s second oldest city. In 1912, New Mexico officially achieved statehood.
What is the oldest town in New Mexico?
Santa Fe
is the oldest capital city in the United States and the oldest city in New Mexico. The meaning of Santa Fe is “holy faith” in Spanish. 2014 population was 68,298. The city was originally occupied by a number of Pueblo Indian villages with founding dates between 1050 to 1150.
Is Santa Fe considered high desert?
The landscape is more ski-basin than desert.
Contrary to popular belief,
Santa Fe isn’t actually high desert
— technically, it’s semi-arid steppe (with cold winters!).
How long is the Old Spanish Trail?
The Old Spanish Trail is an historical trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements of (or near) Santa Fe, New Mexico with those of Los Angeles, California and southern California.
Approximately 700 mi (1,100 km)
long, the trail ran through areas of high mountains, arid deserts, and deep canyons.
How many miles is the California Trail?
This was the greatest mass migration in American history. Crossing 10 States, the entire California National Historic Trail system spans approximately
5,665 miles
. About 1,100 miles of trail still have obvious remains on the ground such as trail ruts and other remnants, many on public lands.
How long is the Oregon Trail in miles?
The Oregon Trail was a wagon road stretching
2170 miles
from Missouri to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. It was not a road in any modern sense, only parallel ruts leading across endless prairie, sagebrush desert, and mountains.
