Oregon Trail Research Paper

The Oregon Trail was an overland route used by migrants to travel from the East to the West all the way to the Oregon territory. Which included, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Western Montana and Wyoming. This trail ran 2,000 miles and more than 50,000 people used the trail between 1841 and 1860s. At the early 1800s, the United States began the westward expansion beyond the Mississippi River, which was controlled by France, Spain, and Britain. Today the trail is a designated a National Historic Trail, and is governed by the National Park Service.

More about The Oregon Trail: The Oregon Trail originated in the routes established by Native American’s trade networks, which existed for centuries. In 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William
“The 2,000 mile journey was exhausting and dangerous, the covered wagons were uncomfortable and crowded.” (Benson, Sonia, et al. "Oregon Trail." UXL Encyclopedia of U.S. History, vol. 6, UXL, 2009, pp). People often slept in tents beside their wagon or in the wagon itself. They got up early and were traveling again by 7:00AM. Expect for the drivers and the sick, most people walked, covering about 15-25 miles on a good day. When the evening came, they formed a large circle with the wagons, keeping the livestock inside, to keep them from wandering or being stolen by the Native Americans. The day was often long and tiring.

Deaths:
The greatest dangers on the Oregon Trail were deaths by accident. Children would often be killed or injured by the heavy wheel of the wagons or on steep slopes of the mountains. Others would be washed downstream while trying to cross the dangerous rivers. Cholera, a waterborne disease, were especially devastating. It killed as many as one in ten settlers. Most deaths were natural and devastating for the families, causing grief while on the long, dangerous routes of the Oregon Trail.

Travel Along The Trail