Unit 9: Westward Unit 9: Westward ExpansionExpansion

Lesson 3: The Oregon TrailLesson 3: The Oregon Trail

What was the Oregon Trail?What was the Oregon Trail?

A trail that led to the A trail that led to the Oregon CountryOregon Country That’s helpfulThat’s helpful

The Oregon Country The Oregon Country included today’s included today’s states of Oregon, states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Washington, Idaho, and parts of and parts of Wyoming, Montana, & Wyoming, Montana, & CanadaCanada

The The Rocky Rocky MountainsMountains formed the formed the eastern border, eastern border,

while the while the PacificPacific OceanOcean formed formed the western the western borderborder

What was special about this area?What was special about this area?

At first, its fur-bearing At first, its fur-bearing animalsanimals For hundreds of years, it For hundreds of years, it

was fashionable for was fashionable for Europeans & North Europeans & North Americans to wear hats Americans to wear hats made of beaver peltsmade of beaver pelts

Because of the high Because of the high demand, fur trappers had demand, fur trappers had

exhausted the exhausted the supply of beaver in supply of beaver in all of the streams all of the streams they knewthey knew

In the early 1800s, a In the early 1800s, a few trappers crossed few trappers crossed the Mississippi River the Mississippi River to find more places to to find more places to hunthunt Some of them ended Some of them ended

up in Oregon Countryup in Oregon Country

Who did the Oregon Country Who did the Oregon Country belong to?belong to?

4 countries tried to take control 4 countries tried to take control of the Oregon Country:of the Oregon Country:

1. 1. the U.S.the U.S. 2. 2. EnglandEngland 3. 3. SpainSpain 4. 4. RussiaRussia

Of these countries, the Of these countries, the

U.S. & England were U.S. & England were the the most determined most determined to control the to control the landland

Why did the British think the land Why did the British think the land belonged to them?belonged to them?

Englishman Sir Englishman Sir Francis Drake visited Francis Drake visited the coast of Oregon in the coast of Oregon in 15791579

Also, a member of Also, a member of English Captain English Captain George Vancouver’s George Vancouver’s crew navigated a river crew navigated a river part of the way part of the way through Oregon in through Oregon in 17921792

Why did we think the land belonged Why did we think the land belonged to us?to us?

In 1792, sea captain In 1792, sea captain Robert Gray sailed the Robert Gray sailed the Columbia River & gave it Columbia River & gave it its nameits name

In 1805, Lewis & Clark In 1805, Lewis & Clark reached the mouth of this reached the mouth of this riverriver

By 1807, American fur traders By 1807, American fur traders had set up trading posts all had set up trading posts all along the route of Lewis & along the route of Lewis & Clark’s expeditionClark’s expedition

(They were competing with (They were competing with British traders who pushed British traders who pushed into Oregon from Canada)into Oregon from Canada)

Agreement with EnglandAgreement with England

In 1818, the U.S. & In 1818, the U.S. & England England agreed to agreed to share the Oregon share the Oregon Country for 10 yearsCountry for 10 years Under the agreement, Under the agreement,

British & American citizens British & American citizens would enjoy equal rightswould enjoy equal rights With few settlers in the With few settlers in the

region, region, Spain & Spain & Russia gave up Russia gave up their claims in their claims in 18251825

Mountain MenMountain Men British & American fur-British & American fur-

trading companies trading companies

wanted to secure their wanted to secure their claims in Oregonclaims in Oregon They needed young men to They needed young men to

serve as camp keepers serve as camp keepers ((cookcook & & guardguard thethe campscamps))

They also neededThey also needed trapperstrappers

These “rough” These “rough” explorers explorers became known became known as as mountain mountain menmen

The Life of a Mountain ManThe Life of a Mountain Man

It was It was hard & lonelyhard & lonely Most of them traveled Most of them traveled

with little more than a with little more than a “possibles sack”“possibles sack” Small leather pouch Small leather pouch

holding a tool for holding a tool for stitching leather, a stitching leather, a mold for making lead mold for making lead musket balls, and a musket balls, and a surgeon’s lance for surgeon’s lance for digging out bulletsdigging out bullets

During the spring trapping During the spring trapping season, a mountain man season, a mountain man

might haulmight haul

6-8 heavy iron traps 6-8 heavy iron traps on his backon his back To set the traps, he To set the traps, he

had to wade in the had to wade in the

near-freezing near-freezing streamsstreams

When his hunting When his hunting efforts came up efforts came up empty, empty,

he went to bed hungryhe went to bed hungry

Mountain men Mountain men learned many of their learned many of their trapping skills & trapping skills & survival methods from survival methods from Native AmericansNative Americans Many of them ended Many of them ended

up up marrying Native marrying Native American womenAmerican women

Speaking of wedding…Speaking of wedding…

In the summer, In the summer, trappers would meet trappers would meet traders from Missouri traders from Missouri who bought the who bought the trappers’ furstrappers’ furs

In turn the traders In turn the traders sold them suppliessold them supplies (though the supplies (though the supplies were very expensive)were very expensive)

Because mountain Because mountain streams froze between streams froze between October & March, & thus October & March, & thus they couldn’t hunt beaver they couldn’t hunt beaver in the streams, trappers in the streams, trappers would gather would gather

in winter camps of up in winter camps of up to 60 mento 60 men They hunted during the They hunted during the

day, & at night they day, & at night they huddled around fires in huddled around fires in buffalo-hide lodges & told buffalo-hide lodges & told storiesstories

What were the mountain men good What were the mountain men good for besides hunting for fur?for besides hunting for fur?

They opened the door for They opened the door for

settlement of the settlement of the WestWest Before long, covered Before long, covered

wagons started showing up wagons started showing up in their campsin their camps

Coinciding with the arrival Coinciding with the arrival of these settlers was a of these settlers was a fashion change that put the fashion change that put the mountain men mountain men

““out of business”out of business” Fashionable sheepFashionable sheep

In the late 1830s & In the late 1830s & the 1840s, people the 1840s, people stopped wearing stopped wearing beaver hatsbeaver hats

The mountain men The mountain men then needed to then needed to

find other workfind other work Some became farmersSome became farmers Others became guides Others became guides

for wagon trainsfor wagon trains

The route that the former The route that the former mountain men knew best- mountain men knew best- the Oregon Trail- soon the Oregon Trail- soon became a major highway became a major highway across the continentacross the continent It extended from It extended from

Independence, Independence, MissouriMissouri to the to the

ColumbiaColumbia RiverRiver in in OregonOregon

Oregon FeverOregon Fever

At first, settlers came to At first, settlers came to Oregon slowly, in small Oregon slowly, in small numbersnumbers Eventually, though, stories Eventually, though, stories

made their way back east made their way back east

& became very & became very exaggeratedexaggerated

Easterners who wanted to Easterners who wanted to see such things as 5ft-wide see such things as 5ft-wide turnips turnips

got the itch to head got the itch to head to Oregonto Oregon

Between 1840 & Between 1840 & 1860, more than 1860, more than 60,000 people 60,000 people traveled the Oregon traveled the Oregon TrailTrail The trip began at The trip began at

jumping-off places like jumping-off places like Independence, Independence, MissouriMissouri

Jumping-off places were Jumping-off places were

where families where families stocked stocked their lightweight their lightweight covered wagons & covered wagons & hitched them to teams hitched them to teams of oxenof oxen Several families then Several families then

formed a wagon trainformed a wagon train Each wagon train elected a Each wagon train elected a

leader to make decisions leader to make decisions on the trailon the trail

Timing was ImportantTiming was Important

Most wagon trains left Most wagon trains left Independence, MO in Independence, MO in May, when enough spring May, when enough spring grass covered the plains grass covered the plains to feed the oxento feed the oxen They then had 5 months to They then had 5 months to

get across the Rockiesget across the Rockies

If they arrived later, If they arrived later, they they might freeze to might freeze to deathdeath

Day-to-Day Life on the TrailDay-to-Day Life on the Trail

After starting at dawn, the After starting at dawn, the oxen would move along oxen would move along at aboutat about

2mph2mph Near dusk the men would Near dusk the men would

start searching for water start searching for water & grass& grass When they found both, When they found both,

they drew the they drew the wagons into a wagons into a circlecircle

While the animals While the animals grazed & the men grazed & the men stood guard, the stood guard, the women fried bacon & women fried bacon & baked biscuits baked biscuits

over fires fueled by over fires fueled by buffalo chips (dried buffalo chips (dried manure)manure)

When the wagons When the wagons reached deep rivers reached deep rivers or steep mountains, or steep mountains, families had to families had to

lighten their loadslighten their loads They’d dump barrels, They’d dump barrels,

clothing, trunks, clothing, trunks, spades, & anything spades, & anything else else

that would slow that would slow them downthem down

The “Roadside Telegraph”The “Roadside Telegraph”

The emigrants helped The emigrants helped each other by leaving each other by leaving messages on boards, messages on boards, rocks, tree trunks, & rocks, tree trunks, & animal skulls beside the animal skulls beside the trailtrail These messages saved These messages saved

some people’s lives by some people’s lives by warning them about warning them about

dead-end shortcuts dead-end shortcuts or poison water or poison water holesholes

Hundreds of travelers Hundreds of travelers never made it to Oregonnever made it to Oregon Some turned back or Some turned back or

settled on the plainssettled on the plains Many Many died of died of

diseases like diseases like cholera & smallpoxcholera & smallpox

Others drowned in rivers or Others drowned in rivers or died in accidentsdied in accidents

Graves & the carcasses of Graves & the carcasses of

dead animals lined dead animals lined the trailthe trail

Relations with Native AmericansRelations with Native Americans

For the most part, For the most part, Native Americans Native Americans traded with the traded with the travelers & tried to travelers & tried to help them outhelp them out Some provided them Some provided them

with horses, clothing, with horses, clothing, & fresh food& fresh food

Others guided them Others guided them through difficult parts through difficult parts of the trailof the trail

There were very few There were very few incidents of violence incidents of violence between wagon trains between wagon trains & Native Americans& Native Americans Diseases were the Diseases were the

major danger for major danger for the settlersthe settlers

Annexing OregonAnnexing Oregon

Eventually, many Eventually, many Americans wanted to Americans wanted to annex, or add, annex, or add, Oregon to the U.S.Oregon to the U.S.

James K. Polk, who James K. Polk, who was elected President was elected President in 1844, in 1844,

agreed with themagreed with them

Oregon Country becomes the Oregon Oregon Country becomes the Oregon Territory, then the state of OregonTerritory, then the state of Oregon

Polk began negotiations Polk began negotiations with the British, and with the British, and Oregon became a Oregon became a territory in 1848territory in 1848

Then, in 1859 it became Then, in 1859 it became a statea state This transfer of territory This transfer of territory

occurred without occurred without bloodshedbloodshed

The upcoming acquisition The upcoming acquisition of Texas, though, of Texas, though, would would not be nearly as not be nearly as peacefulpeaceful