Life on the trail was not easy.
Many faced family deaths to sicknesses such as cholera, measles, and smallpox
. Starvation, harsh weather conditions, and travel accidents were common and took their toll, no matter which trail pioneers chose to travel or how carefully they prepared.
What was a typical day on the Oregon Trail?
A typical day began
at 6 AM
with a breakfast of cold leftovers before the wagon train lined up and set out. A knowledgeable captain led the way, pacing the wagons to reach good pasture and water at noon and before sundown. The trail was rough, full of holes and rocks, so riding in a wagon was bumpy and uncomfortable.
What was life like on the Oregon Trail and what were the dangers?
TRAIL BASICS – DANGERS. 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.
What if you were a child on the Oregon Trail?
As Josephine Jenkins sets off on the Oregon Trail with her mother and younger brothers to reunite with her father out West, she realizes that her beloved diary has gone missing. Meanwhile, her fellow traveler Stephen Byrd is sad to be leaving his friends behind as his family makes the move to Oregon.
Who 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.
What was the greatest cause of death on the Oregon Trail?
Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites were a few. However, the number one killer, by a wide margin, was
disease
.
What was the most common problem on the Oregon Trail?
Throughout the trail’s existence, numerous accidents were caused by negligence, exhaustion, guns, and animals.
Wagon accidents
were the most common, with both children and adults sometimes falling off or under wagons and being crushed under the wheels.
What bad things happened on the Oregon Trail?
Dangers on the Oregon Trail
According to the Oregon California Trails Association, almost one in ten who embarked on the trail didn’t survive. Most people died of diseases such as
dysentery, cholera, smallpox or flu
, or in accidents caused by inexperience, exhaustion and carelessness.
Does the Oregon Trail still exist?
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
.
How did they treat cholera on the Oregon Trail?
This disease was the main cause of death on the Oregon Trail. It took one third of the people who died on the trail and could kill in less than a day. To cure a person diagnosed with cholera,
pioneers gave laudanum and immediate rest
.
What diseases did the people get on the Oregon Trail?
Dysentery, smallpox, measles, mumps, and influenza
were among the diseases named in diaries and journals, but cholera, mountain fever, and scurvy were probably the biggest killers.
How much did it cost to join a wagon train?
The overland journey from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon or California meant a six-month trip across 2,000 miles of hard country. It was costly—as much as $1,000 for a family of four. That fee included a wagon at
about $100
.
What were the real enemies of the pioneers on the trail?
The real enemies of the pioneers were
cholera, poor sanitation and–surprisingly–accidental gunshots
. The first emigrants to go to Oregon in a covered wagon were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (and Henry and Eliza Spalding) who made the trip in 1836.
What did the Oregon Trail lead to?
In addition, branches from each main trail provided connections to destinations in California, and a spur of the northerly Oregon route, part of the Oregon Trail, led to
the Great Salt Lake region of what is now northern Utah
. The Oregon Trail, c. 1850, with state and territorial boundaries.
How many immigrants died on the Oregon Trail?
Emigrants on the Oregon Trail suffered tremendous hardships. Death was an ever-present companion. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 10 emigrants died on the trail—
between 20,000 and 30,000 people
. The majority of deaths occurred because of diseases caused by poor sanitation.
Why is the Donner Party Famous?
The Donner Party (sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party) was a group of
American pioneers
who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. … The Donner Party departed Missouri on the Oregon Trail in the spring of 1846, behind many other pioneer families who were attempting to make the same overland trip.
