The Oregon Trail is a computer game originally developed by Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger in 1971 and produced by MECC in 1974. The route started on the banks of the Missouri River, originally at Independence, then Westport, then Weston across from Fort Leavenworth. Some went hoping to find better health or better living conditions. The trail was popular until the transcontinental railroad connected the east to the west in 1869. Hilarity! Oregon Trail summary: The 2,200-mile east-west trail served as a critical transportation route for emigrants traveling from Missouri to Oregon and other points west during the mid-1800s. Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west. For example, it could have been for religious resons like Manifest Destiny and spreading their religion. Considering the number of deaths on the trail, an even spacing would create a grave every 50 yards, stretching from the Missouri River to Oregon City. The real Oregon Trail was filled with about as many accidents and illnesses, and the National Oregon/California Trail Center says more than 300,000 Americans actually did travel along it at the end of the 19th century. These letters often told about a good life on the frontier. Where did the Oregon Trail really go? Many travelers journeyed in companies, while others did not. 0 0. Traffic soon skyrocketed, and by the late-1840s and early 1850s, upwards of 50,000 people were using the trail each year. First published by explorer Jedidiah Smith in 1825, it was the only practical way for migrants to make this journey. CEO Compensation and America's Growing Economic Divide. Many people went to the Oregon Territory to get free farm land. The Louisiana Territory Purchased by the United States Government was one of the important events that are linked to the Oregon Trail. One historian noted that on a single day in June 1850 more than 6,000 people were on the trail. People went on the journey westward for many reasons. It had reliable rainfall, copious timber, and fertile soil. The Oregon Trail was made possible by President Thomas Jefferson and his purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803. In 1978, the U.S. Congress officially named the trail the Oregon National Historic Trail. Some did camp on the ground—either in the open or sheltered under the wagon. Where did the Oregon Trail really go? read more. The player assumes the role of a wagon leader guiding his party of settlers from Independence, But many used canvas tents. 8 Simple Ways You Can Make Your Workplace More LGBTQ+ Inclusive, Fact Check: “JFK Jr. Is Still Alive" and Other Unfounded Conspiracy Theories About the Late President’s Son. The Oregon, Mormon Pioneer and California trails all cross Wyoming in the central and most popular corridor of the transcontinental migration of the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. Required fields are marked *. mollyflan. Why? Many of them traveled in large wagon trains using covered wagons to carry their belongings. Factors such as the violent and unpredictable prairie storms could cause … In short, mostly for the free land being given out via the Homestead Act and it’s associated laws and regulations. For a modern trip along the Oregon Trail you won't need a covered wagon full of supplies. Dangers along the trail included water crossings, disease, accidents, and weather. The Oregon, Mormon Pioneer and California trails all cross Wyoming in the central and most popular corridor of the transcontinental migration of the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. The Oregon trail helped many settlers cross to the west to make a better life. The answer is not simple, as there was no single route, just a destination: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Once this happened people saved up for the trip so they wouldn't have to pay the bank any owed money. In 1846, a newspaperman joins an Oregon Trail wagon train to verify rumors about the U.S. government sending troops disguised as settlers there in order to claim Oregon. 6:00 pm: Families unpack and make supper. Although much of the trail has been built over through the years, around 300 miles of it has been … Sue Alperin, a founder of Oregon Uniting, created the supplement in part to help kids of color feel included in Oregon’s story. Later farmers took their families west in search of rich farm land. The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. Various land acts in Oregon provided free land to pioneers, while the start of the California Gold Rush in 1848 lured thousands more. It crossed varied and often difficult terrain that included large territories occupied by Native Americans. There were two periods of time when Americans went to Oregon. These letters often told about a good life on the frontier. If you're of a certain age, you remember spending hours naming your Oregon Trail family after your own family or friends, guiding their MS-DOS-based adventures, and laughing when brother Stinky Johnny died of dysentery. Facts, information and articles about The Oregon Trail, a part of Westward Expansion from the Wild West. Many people went to the Oregon Territory to get free farm land. Well, that depends on how you look at it. The advantages of the Oregon Territory were legion. Swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen. mollyflan. Wagons are formed into a corral. National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center | 541-523-1843 | oregontrail.blm.gov Why did people go to the Oregon Territory? In the spring of 1843, a wagon train of nearly 1,000 people organized at Independence, Missouri with plans to reach Oregon Country. The longest, steepest climb on the Oregon Trail, the hill had an even more dangerous descent. Some went to escape problems. The Trail was about 2,170 miles (3,500 km) long, and could take up to six months to travel. Travelers were inspired by dreams of gold and rich farmlands, but they were also motivated by difficult economic times in the east and diseases like yellow fever and malaria that were decimating the Midwest around 1837. The answer is not simple, as there was no single route, just a destination: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Portions of what was to become the Oregon Trail were first used by trappers, fur traders, and missionaries (c. 1811–40) who traveled on foot and horseback. The answer is not simple, as there was no single route, just a destination: Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They made dolls from corn cobs and rags and used a bladder balloon for ball games. NOAA Hurricane Forecast Maps Are Often Misinterpreted — Here's How to Read Them. Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion: Pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail faced many dangers and hardships. The Oregon Trail was the main route that migrants used to travel from the east of the USA, to the west. The Oregon Trail started in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City. The first pioneer company to travel across the entirety of what was to become the Oregon Trail … Accidents… Oregon Trail: The Oregon Trail is the name given to the route followed by thousands of settlers who headed out to settle the western United States. Why did so many people brave such a long journey past much other land where people now live and did live at the time? Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, the trail claimed as many as 30,000 victims or an average of 10-15 deaths per mile. The numbers alone are enough to chill. Life on the Oregon Trail was both incredibly boring and extremely dangerous. Once they finished their farewells to the friends and family they might never see again, it was time for the tough part -- surviving a 2,000 mile journey. Relevance. There were several reasons why settlers went to the Oregon Country. 3 Answers. In fact, the Oregon Trail is this nation’s longest graveyard. America overcame many obsticles during the 1800s despite how young the country was. Which lead to leaving many people without money or in poverty. The Oregon Trail was an actual path. Of the estimated 350,000 who started the journey, the trail claimed as many as 30,000 victims or an average of 10-15 deaths per mile. 'Go West, young man, and grow up with the country,' goes the famous 1851 quote, and many young American men (and women) took the advice. The Oregon Trail created one of the largest mass migrations in human history. Some of the migrants resorted to cannibalism to survive, eating the bodies of those who had succumbed to starvation and sickness. Faced with the hardships of the trail, some people gave up and went back home. The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. ... About 20,000 people died on the California Trail between 1841 and 1859 — an average of ten graves for every mile. Your email address will not be published. Less famous but equally exciting at the time were other reports of gold being found in Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and other western states. Lv 6. So who were these crazy people, and why did they place their lives and fortunes in jeopardy to reach a land none of them had ever seen? Some went to escape problems. Your email address will not be published. 5:00 pm: When a good campsite with ample water and grass is found, pioneers stop to set up camp for the evening. The Oregon Trail's nominal termination point was Oregon City, ... With literally thousands of people and thousands of livestock traveling in a fairly small time slot the travelers had to spread out to find clean water, wood, good campsites, and grass. It was an actual trail, mostly connected, created by Indians and trappers. 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