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Historic trail map
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=== Historical Background === | === Historical Background === | ||
The Santa Fe Trail was an overland international trade route, military road, and pioneer migration trail in central North America between the [[United States|United States]] and [[Portal:Mexico|Mexico]] from 1821 to 1880. 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, [[Portal:Missouri|Missouri]] to Santa Fe, [[Portal:New Mexico|New Mexico]]. During most of its history the trail was used to carry 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 [[Portal:California|California]], [[Portal:Nevada|Nevada]], [[Portal:Utah|Utah]], [[Colorado|Colorado]], [[Arizona|Arizona]], and [[New Mexico|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 gold fields. 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 | The Santa Fe Trail was an overland international trade route, military road, and pioneer migration trail in central North America between the [[United States|United States]] and [[Portal:Mexico|Mexico]] from 1821 to 1880. 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, [[Portal:Missouri|Missouri]] to Santa Fe, [[Portal:New Mexico|New Mexico]]. During most of its history the trail was used to carry 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 [[Portal:California|California]], [[Portal:Nevada|Nevada]], [[Portal:Utah|Utah]], [[Colorado|Colorado]], [[Arizona|Arizona]], and [[New Mexico|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 gold fields. 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 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 because it linked the [[United States|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> | Part of the reason the Santa Fe Trail was a success was because it linked the [[United States|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> | ||
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=== External Sites === | === External Sites === | ||
*[http://www.nps.gov/safe/ National Park Service, Santa Fe Trail] History, stories, and map | *[http://www.nps.gov/safe/ National Park Service, Santa Fe Trail] History, stories, and map | ||
* | *NPS [[<div id="flashcontent" align="center"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://ns.www.nps.gov.edgesuite.net/parkmaps/cms.swf" style="" id="zoomifyViewer" name="zoomifyViewer" bgcolor="#f7f4ef" quality="high" wmode="opaque" menu="false" flashvars="zoomifyImagePath=http://ns.www.nps.gov.edgesuite.net/parkmaps/safe/img/&zoomifyZoom=20&zoomifySlider=1" width="745" height="550"></div>|Santa Fe National Historic Trail Map]] | ||
=== Sources === | === Sources === | ||