Topography and climate largely dictated the course of the Oregon Trail. Access to water was of paramount importance, and, for the greater part of its length, the trail followed the region’s three great rivers: the Platte (and its tributary the North Platte), the Snake, and, finally, the Columbia .
How did wagons cross rivers on the Oregon Trail?
Rivers, mountains, springs, trading posts. There were many mileposts pioneers used to track their journey on the Oregon Trail. ... Some rivers could be forded, but for rivers deeper than four feet or so, a pair of canoes would be lashed together , a wagon rolled on crossways, and the resulting ferry poled across.
Why did the Oregon Trail follow a route alongside rivers?
It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North. As the trail developed it became marked by numerous cutoffs and shortcuts from Missouri to Oregon. The basic route follows river valleys as grass and water were absolutely necessary .
What path did the Oregon Trail follow?
The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon , which was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west. The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon.
What was the main way of travel during the Oregon Trail?
From about 1811-1840 the Oregon Trail was laid down by traders and fur trappers. It could only be traveled by horseback or on foot . By the year 1836, the first of the migrant train of wagons was put together.
How many died on the Oregon Trail?
Combined with accidents, drowning at dangerous river crossings, and other illnesses, at least 20,000 people died along the Oregon Trail. Most trailside graves are unknown, as burials were quick and the wagon trains moved on.
Can you walk the Oregon Trail today?
The 2,000-mile Oregon Trail was used by pioneers headed west from Missouri to find fertile lands. Today, travelers can follow the trail along Route 66 or Routes 2 and 30 .
Why did most people on the Oregon Trail walk instead of ride in their wagons?
Most pioneers instead tackled the trail in more diminutive wagons that become known as “ prairie schooners” for the way their canvas covers resembled a ship’s sail . ... With this in mind, settlers typically preferred to ride horses or walk alongside their wagons on foot.
Why is the Oregon Trail known as the longest graveyard?
The Oregon Trail has been called the world’s longest graveyard, with one body, on average, buried every 80 yards or so. People lost their lives to influenza , cholera, severe dysentery, or accidents. They were crushed by wagon wheels, stepped on by oxen or killed when a simple cut turned into a gangrenous infection.
How did settlers cross rivers?
If the water in the river was fairly shallow, the pioneers could drive straight across it with their teams of oxen . ... If the water was shallow, but the wagons too heavy and the water fast, you would ask a neighbor to double-up teams of oxen for each wagon and slowly get everyone’s wagons across one at a time.
What was the hardest part of the Oregon Trail?
Major threats to pioneer life and limb came from accidents, exhaustion, and disease. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. Swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen. Such accidents could cause the loss of life and most or all of valuable supplies.
Why didn’t most pioneers ride in their wagons?
Teams of oxen or mules pulled the wagons along the dusty trail. People didn’t ride in the wagons often, because they didn’t want to wear out their animals . Instead they walked alongside them, getting just as dusty as the animals. The long journey was hard on both people and animals.
What was the biggest danger on the Oregon Trail?
Shootings, drownings, being crushed by wagon wheels , and injuries from handling domestic animals were the common killers on the trail. Wagon accidents were the most prevalent. Both children and adults sometimes fell off or under wagons and were crushed under the wheels.
Why is the Oregon Trail so important?
The Oregon Trail has attracted such interest because it is the central feature of one of the largest mass migrations of people in American history . Between 1840 and 1860, from 300,000 to 400,000 travelers used the 2,000-mile overland route to reach Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, Utah, and California destinations.
When was the Oregon Trail most heavily used?
The Oregon Trail went from western Missouri across the Great Plains into the Rocky Mountains to Oregon City, Oregon. It was most heavily used in the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s . It was the longest historic overland migration trail in North America.
Who found the Oregon Trail?
Robert Stuart of the Astorians (a group of fur traders who established Fort Astoria on the Columbia River in western Oregon) became the first white man to use what later became known as the Oregon Trail. Stuart’s 2,000-mile journey from Fort Astoria to St.
