Oregon Trail: Difference between revisions

''[[United States Genealogy|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[United States Migration Internal|Migration]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[US Migration Trails and Roads|Trails and Roads]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Oregon_Trail|Oregon Trail]]''  

=== Background History  ===

'''Oregon boundary dispute.''' [[Washington, United States Genealogy|Washington State]] and [[British Columbia Genealogy|British Columbia]] were at first disputed and jointly occupied by Britain ([[Canada Genealogy|Canada]]) and the [[United States Genealogy|United States]]. The British and their [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Company Hudson's Bay Company] controlled Washington northwest of the Columbia River. But pressure was being exerted against Canada. In 1836 American pioneer groups began migrating over the Oregon Trail into Oregon. Thousands came over the next decade, far more than from Canada. Slogans of the 1844 American presidential campaign clamored for war to take Washington and British Columbia by force. The Oregon Treaty of 1846 gave Washington to the United States and British Columbia to Canada.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Oregon boundary dispute" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_boundary_dispute (accessed 12 July 2012).</ref>  

'''Reasons for migrating.''' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_men Mountain men fur trappers] were the earliest to use the Oregon Trail. A few early missionaries came in the 1830s. Larger groups of American settlers began arriving in 1843. The [[California Trail]], [[Mormon Trail]], and [[Bozeman Trail]] overlapped much of the Oregon Trail and branched off it starting in 1846. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush California Gold Rush] of 1849 contributed significantly to west coast migration. Western gold and silver strikes, free farm land, lumber, and ranching all increased traffic on the Oregon Trail. An estimated 80,000 pioneers used the Oregon Trail to Oregon, and 20,000 to Washington by 1869, and about 320,000 more followed part of the Oregon trail to take one of its three main branches.<ref name="OrTr" />  

'''Trail life.''' Non-essentials were often abandoned on the trail to lighten the load. Forts and trading posts ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Kearny Ft. Kearny], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Laramie_National_Historic_Site Ft. Laramie], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fetterman Ft. Fetterman], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bridger Ft. Bridger], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Ft. Hall], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Boise Ft. Boise], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Nez_Perc%C3%A9s Ft. Nez Percés], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Vancouver_National_Historic_Site Ft. Vancouver]) along the way usually provided supplies, fresh animal teams, repairs, spare parts, and news of trail conditions. Hunting (including bison), fishing, and trading were also common along the route. Emigrants usually formed into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagon_train wagon trains] for security. Almost everyone preferred to walk rather than ride in dusty, bumpy wagons. They had to average 11 miles (18 km) to 17 miles (27 km) per day to reach Oregon City in four to six months. To leave too early risked muddy trails and too little grass for livestock. To arrive late risked traveling in winter weather. Thunderstorms and fierce winds were common. In good weather they often slept under the stars. On the prairie [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_dung buffalo chips] were gathered for use as cooking fuel. Wash day was about every two weeks. Many travelers enjoyed side trips climbing over trail landmarks like [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimney_Rock_National_Historic_Site Chimney Rock], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotts_Bluff_National_Monument Scott's Bluff], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Rock_%28Wyoming%29 Independence Rock]. Some entrepreneurs drove herds of cattle over the trail to sell and help pay for the trip.<ref name="OrTr" />  

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'''Decline of trail use.''' In 1855 the Oregon Trail (and California Trail) traffic declined dramatically for at least two reasons. First, Oregon's free land incentive ended in 1855. From 1850 to 1854 pioneers could claim 300 acres of land for free. From 1855 to 1862 Oregon pioneers were required to pay for government land. The next free-land opportunities were not created in Oregon until the 1862 Homestead Act was passed. Second, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Railroad Panama Railroad] was completed with steamship links that made transportation from the east coast to the west coast of America more practical than using an overland wagon trail.<ref name="OrTr" />  

=== Main Route  ===

Livestock needed watering so the Oregon Trail followed rivers across the dry [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains prairies]. The Oregon Trail usually followed the south side of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Platte_River North Platte River] west through [[Nebraska Genealogy|Nebraska]] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fetterman Fort Fetterman] (near Douglas, Wyoming). At Fort Fetterman the [[Bozeman Trail]] branched off northwest toward [[Montana Genealogy|Montana]].<ref name="BozTr">Wikipedia contributors, "Bozeman Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bozeman_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref> Oregon Trail emigrants followed the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetwater_River_%28Wyoming%29 Sweetwater River] farther west. An important goal was to reach [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Rock_%28Wyoming%29 Independence Rock] on the Sweetwater River by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_%28United_States%29 Independence Day]. The trail went over [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Pass South Pass] then worked its way through the mountains. One [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sublette_Cutoff#Sublette-Greenwood_Cutoff shortcut] went from South Pass due west toward [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Fort Hall]. The main trail from South Pass headed southwest to cross the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_River_%28Utah%29 Green River] at [http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/lombard_ferry.htm Lombard Ferry], headed for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Bridger Fort Bridger]. At Fort Bridger the [[Mormon Trail]] branched southwest toward [[Salt Lake City, Utah|Salt Lake City]].<ref name="MorTr">Wikipedia contributors, "Mormon Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref> The main Oregon Trail went northwest from Bridger to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hall Fort Hall, Idaho]. From the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raft_River Raft River] southwest of Fort Hall most [[California Trail]] emigrants forked southwest toward [[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]]<ref name="CalTr">Wikipedia contributors, "California Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail (accessed 15 July 2012).</ref>, while Oregon Trail followers continued along the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_River Snake River] to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Boise Fort Boise] and the [[Oregon Genealogy|Oregon]] border. Once in Oregon emigrants made their way through the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_%28Oregon%29 Blue Mountains] either to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Nez_Perc%C3%A9s Fort Nez Percé] ([[Walla Walla, Washington|Walla Walla, Washington]]) on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River Columbia River], or to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dalles,_Oregon The Dalles] on the same river. At first a risky raft trip down the Columbia River was the normal route. But the opening of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barlow_Road Barlow Road] in 1846 allowed wagons to get around [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood Mount Hood] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willamette_Valley Willamette Valley] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_City,_Oregon Oregon City]. Some pioneers continued on to destinations like [[Portland, Oregon|Portland, Oregon]] and [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma, Washington]].<ref name="OrTr" />