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== Historical Background == | == Historical Background == | ||
Shortly after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_independence Mexican independence from Spain] in 1821, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Becknell William Bicknell], a merchant-trader opened the Santa Fe Trail as a lucrative trade route from Franklin, [[Missouri, United States Genealogy|Missouri]] to Santa Fe, [[New Mexico Genealogy|New Mexico]]. During most of its history the trail was used to carry pack-trains or wagon loads of trade goods between Missouri and New Mexico. In 1846 at the start of the [[Mexican War, 1846 to 1848|Mexican War]] the United States Army used the Santa Fe Trail to invade and later supply New Mexico. At the end of the war Mexico ceded territory that would become [[California, United States Genealogy|California]], [[Nevada Genealogy|Nevada]], [[Utah Genealogy|Utah]], [[Colorado, United States Genealogy|Colorado]], [[Arizona Genealogy|Arizona]], and [[New Mexico Genealogy|New Mexico]] to the United States. Some American [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush forty-niners] used the Santa Fe Trail on the way to the California | Shortly after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_independence Mexican independence from Spain] in 1821, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Becknell William Bicknell], a merchant-trader opened the Santa Fe Trail as a lucrative trade route from Franklin, [[Missouri, United States Genealogy|Missouri]] to Santa Fe, [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]]. During most of its history, the trail was used to carry pack-trains or wagon loads of trade goods between Missouri and New Mexico. In 1846 at the start of the [[Mexican War, 1846 to 1848|Mexican War]] the United States Army used the Santa Fe Trail to invade and later supply New Mexico. At the end of the war Mexico ceded territory that would become [[California, United States Genealogy|California]], [[Nevada, United States Genealogy|Nevada]], [[Utah, United States Genealogy|Utah]], [[Colorado, United States Genealogy|Colorado]], [[Arizona, United States Genealogy|Arizona]], and [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]] to the United States. Some American [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gold_Rush forty-niners] used the Santa Fe Trail on the way to the California goldfields. Before long, ox teams pulling wagons began to carry more and more [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pioneer pioneers] from the expanding United States into New Mexico and the western states. Eventually, in 1880, the old wagon trail was replaced by the [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway|Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway]] which roughly followed the Santa Fe Trail Mountain Route from Kansas City into Colorado and New Mexico.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Santa Fe Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Trail (accessed 19 July 2009).</ref> | ||
Part of the reason the Santa Fe Trail was a success was | Part of the reason the Santa Fe Trail was a success was that it linked the [[United States Genealogy|United States]] to two other significant trade routes, the [[Camino Real de Tierra Adentro|Camino Real]], and the [[Old Spanish Trail|Old Spanish Trail]], all forming a hub in Santa Fe. Since 1598 the Camino Real had been used to carry settlers and goods from Mexico City and Chihuahua to Santa Fe.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Camino_Real_de_Tierra_Adentro (accessed 19 July 2009).</ref> When the Santa Fe Trail opened these Mexican goods could be traded for goods from the United States. In 1829-1830 the Old Spanish Trail also was opened connecting Los Angeles to Santa Fe making even more merchandise available for trade.<ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Old Spanish Trail" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Spanish_Trail_(trade_route) (accessed 19 July 2009).</ref> | ||
Settlers followed trails because forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, or deserts blocked other routes. If an ancestor settled near a trail, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the trail. | Settlers followed trails because forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, or deserts blocked other routes. If an ancestor settled near a trail, you may be able to trace their place of origin back to another place along the trail. | ||
* Vernon, Joseph S. {{FHL|1053152|disp=Along the old trail : a history of the old and a story of the new Santa Fe Trail}}, online through FamilySearch Catalog. | * Vernon, Joseph S. {{FHL|1053152|disp=Along the old trail: a history of the old and a story of the new Santa Fe Trail}}, online through FamilySearch Catalog. | ||
== Route == | == Route == | ||
During much of its early history, the only | During much of its early history, the only permanent white settlement on the Santa Fe Trail was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent%27s_Old_Fort Bent's Old Fort] in Colorado. Many of the following places were built later in trail history, or after the coming of the nearby [[Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe Railway]]. From east to west some of the more prominent places along or near the Santa Fe Trail included: | ||
*Franklin, Missouri | *Franklin, Missouri | ||
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*Lakin, Kansas | *Lakin, Kansas | ||
'''Cimarron Route''' (60 miles shorter but drier | '''Cimarron Route''' (60 miles shorter but drier and less-dependable water and forage for livestock) | ||
*Boise, Oklahoma | *Boise, Oklahoma | ||
*Clayton, New Mexico | *Clayton, New Mexico | ||
'''Mountain Route''' (60 miles longer but wetter | '''Mountain Route''' (60 miles longer but wetter and more-dependable water and forage for livestock) | ||
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent%27s_Old_Fort Bent's Old Fort] near La Junta, Colorado | *[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent%27s_Old_Fort Bent's Old Fort] near La Junta, Colorado | ||
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== Settlers == | == Settlers == | ||
American pioneer settlers who followed the Santa Fe Trail to [[Colorado, United States Genealogy|Colorado]], or northern [[New Mexico Genealogy|New Mexico]] would appear in land records, censuses, and possibly county histories. Few appear in lists as the earliest settlers because the Spanish speaking pioneers from old [[Mexico Genealogy|Mexico]] via the [[Camino Real de Tierra Adentro|Camino Real de Tierra Adentro]] preceded them by many years. | American pioneer settlers who followed the Santa Fe Trail to [[Colorado, United States Genealogy|Colorado]], or northern [[New Mexico, United States Genealogy|New Mexico]] would appear in land records, censuses, and possibly county histories. Few appear in lists as the earliest settlers because the Spanish speaking pioneers from old [[Mexico Genealogy|Mexico]] via the [[Camino Real de Tierra Adentro|Camino Real de Tierra Adentro]] preceded them by many years. | ||
American settlers who | American settlers who traveled the Santa Fe Trail most likely would have come from [[Kansas, United States Genealogy|Kansas]], [[Missouri, United States Genealogy|Missouri]], [[Iowa Genealogy|Iowa]], [[Arkansas, United States Genealogy|Arkansas]],[[Illinois Genealogy|Illinois]], [[Kentucky, United States Genealogy|Kentucky]], or [[Tennessee Genealogy|Tennessee]]. | ||
== External Links == | == External Links == | ||
*[http://www.nps.gov/safe/ National Park Service, Santa Fe Trail] | *[http://www.nps.gov/safe/ National Park Service, Santa Fe Trail] History, stories, and map | ||
*NPS [http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/mini-band.gif Santa Fe National Historic Trail Map] fairly detailed map with historical notes | *NPS [http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/mini-band.gif Santa Fe National Historic Trail Map] fairly detailed map with historical notes | ||
*[http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/ Santa Fe Trail Research] describes trail projects and research articles | *[http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/ Santa Fe Trail Research] describes trail projects and research articles | ||