The Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile migration route used by over 300,000 Americans between 1830 and 1860. The journey was made in covered wagons and was arduous, with many hardships and dangers. The lure of cheap land and economic opportunities attracted people from all walks of life. The westward migration was encouraged by the US government’s expansionist philosophy of “manifest destiny.” Native Americans were not always hostile, and many served as guides and engaged in trade. The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1870 marked the end of the Oregon Trail.
Covering a distance of approximately 2,000 miles (3,219 km), the Oregon Trail was a major migration route taken by settlers from the east on their way to Oregon Country. Between 1830 and 1860, at least 300,000 Americans made the trek across the great plains to the Pacific coast.
The typical mode of transportation on this arduous cross-country journey was the covered wagon or “Prairie Schooner” as it was commonly called. Families would pack up all of their possessions, including the necessary water and supplies needed to survive the ordeal. Due to the rigors and hardships of the Oregon Trail, the average age range for migrants out West was 10-40 years old. The size of the caravans varied from as few as ten wagons up to a hundred.
The lure of cheap land has attracted people from all walks of life, including farmers, merchants, fur trappers, and all types of entrepreneurs, from blacksmiths to saloon owners. Often possessing minimal financial resources, these migrants were willing to go the hardships of the way to partake of economic opportunities that might otherwise not have been available to them in the east.
The most popular starting point for traveling across the prairies was either Independence or St. Joseph, Missouri. The first part of the Oregon Trail followed two rivers: the Missouri and the Platte. As the Rockies approached, the wagon trains would move to the north bank of the Platte, then cross the Continental Divide at South Pass, which was shallow enough for wagons to pass safely.
It was at this point, about halfway through, that travelers bound for the California Territory would branch off to the south. Those continuing to Oregon would follow the Snake River and then cross the Blue Mountains until they reached the Columbia River. Upon reaching Columbia, many settlers decided to travel by river barge for the last leg of the journey which concluded in Oregon City in the Willamette Valley.
For most people, it took six months to complete the journey. Along the way, settlers have been subjected to a variety of hardships ranging from illness and accidents, to random violence. Wagons and cattle also proved dangerous. Numerous individuals suffered fatal injuries from being overturned under the wagons, while others were trampled by cattle and horses. Cholera was especially prevalent, the result of contaminated drinking water, and while not always fatal, in those already suffering from disease or injury, it often proved fatal.
The entire westward migration was encouraged by the United States government, as the Jacksonian Democrats of the 1840s believed that the country’s borders should extend from the shores of the Atlantic to the waters of the Pacific. This expansionist philosophy known as “manifest destiny” drove the entire westward movement, creating a justification in the American mind for the annexation of lands formerly held by the Indians.
Although many Western accounts portray Native Americans as a serious source of danger along the Oregon Trail, studies have shown that casualties resulting from Native American hostility were relatively rare. Contrary to many popular beliefs, many Native Americans viewed wagon trains not with anger and aggression, but rather with an eye to profit. Many Native Americans served as guides for settlers traversing the Oregon Trail, while others engaged in trade with the newcomers, bartering horses and various needed supplies along the way.
In 1870, the completion of the transcontinental railroad made cross-country travel infinitely safer and more efficient, marking the end of wagon trains and the famed Oregon Trail.
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