The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail — page 1

The Oregon Trail — page 2 — THE CALL OF THE WEST in the mid-1800s the West offered Americans a new beginning It offered land freedom adventure and wealth During this time an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people migrated west Many sold their farms and packed up their families They hitched oxen to covered wagons Thousands headed for a place known as Oregon Country Americans headed west in search of new opportunities 5 CHAPTER ONE

The Oregon Trail — page 3 — This area did not belong to the United States until 1846 The early pioneers called themselves emigrants The emigrants epic route is known today as the Oregon Trail Until 1869 the Oregon Trail was the main land passage from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast The trail stretched approximately 2,100 miles 3,380 km It cut through the present-day states of Kansas Nebraska Wyoming and Idaho It ended in western Oregon By wagon the trip took four-and-a-half months or more Emigrants walked along side their wagons most of 6 The Oregon Question In 1818 the United Kingdom and the United States made an agreement about Oregon Country People from both nations were allowed to settle there But there was no clear boundary between British and American land Citizens of both countries lived in Oregon The border issue became known as the Oregon Question As more Americans moved into Oregon the United States wanted to settle the question once and for all The Oregon Treaty of 1846 finally set the northern boundary

The Oregon Trail — page 4 — United Kingdom Territory British Columbia Paci(cid:31)c Ocean Washington Treaty line of 1846 Montana United States Territory Oregon Idaho Oregon Treaty of 1846 From 1818 to 1846 both the United States and the United Kingdom had claims on Oregon Country What do you notice about the treaty line of 1846 How has this influenced borders today the way They crossed plains prairies mountains and deserts These landscapes were unknown to most of them But Native Americans had lived in these places for thousands of years 7

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