The Oregon Trail

NoodleTools Oregon Trail History The Oregon Trail byTodd Underwood The Oregon Trail migration, more correctly known as the Oregon-California Trail migration, is one of the most important events in American History. The Oregon-California trail was a 2,170 mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California that enabled the migrating of the early pioneers to the western United States. The first emigrants to make the trip were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman who made the trip in 1836. This trail was the only feasible land route for settlers to get to the West Coast. In the early Spring, emigrant campers would infiltrate Independence, Missouri and set up camp, waiting for the grass to grow along the Oregon Trail. Most settlers traveled in farm wagons, four feet by ten feet, with a thousand pounds of food. When the time finally came to leave, the settlers would all try to leave at once creating a massive traffic jam further hindered by the inexperience of some of the green east coast teams.

The Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail Imagine walking for 2,000 miles — barefoot. That is what many children did as they traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1800s. Being a pioneer was not easy. The weak did not survive. Go to and read All About the Oregon Trail . Now from the left side of the screen, click on "Historic Sites." Go to Fantastic Facts and then click on "Weird Wagons." Extension Activity Complete your journey by taking a field trip with the students at Monroe Middle School. American Experience . Lost in the Grand Canyon Web Credits | THE FILM & MORE | SPECIAL FEATURE | TIMELINE | MAPS | PEOPLE & EVENTS | TEACHER'S GUIDE Mondays 9/8 C On PBS Pledge Your Support Stories to Go Tiki Toki (Timeline) History Net: Where History Comes Alive - World & US History Online

Klondike - Rush for Gold In the summer of 1897 two ocean going steamers landed on the west coast of the United States. One ship, The Excelsior, landed in San Francisco and three days later The Portland landed in Seattle. Down the gangplank of these two ships went a rag-tag group of men and women carrying sacks of gold. Some walked down the docks with $5,000 worth of gold while others had over $100,000 worth. The miners told of the rich claims they had staked one year earlier on a series of small creeks flowing into the Klondike River. The Dawson City Museum presents a glimpse of the journey to the harsh north country of Alaska and Yukon.

Scholastic: Pioneer Life Pioneer life has a special meaning in America. In less than 300 years, civilization spread across a vast continental wilderness. From the first landings in Virginia and Massachusetts in the early 1600's, American settlers kept pushing westward behind an ever moving frontier. Into wild country went hunters, trappers, fur traders, miners, frontier soldiers, surveyors, and pioneer farmers. The farmers tamed the land and made it productive. Kinds of Pioneers The pioneers were as varied as human nature. Most pioneers were willing to face toil and hardship for the sake of opportunity. Reasons for the Westward Movement All of the pioneers hoped to find something better over the western horizon. In the Great Migration, which began after the War of 1812, multitudes of people went to the American interior. Many went almost empty-handed to the frontier. Building a Cabin in the Clearing On every new frontier the pioneers made homes for themselves, using what the wild land provided. Way Of Life Roads