4. +Moving+West

Took place between 1841-1866
 * Moving West:

Topics: Lewis and Clark Expedition What was the oregon trail Who went on it What was the purpose of it The problems they faced Manifest Destiny

** Manifest Destiny

Manifest destiny was the belief held by many Americans in the 1840s that the United States was destined to expand across the country. This term was used throughout the second half of the 1800’s as justification for the United States taking over territories from the Mississippi River all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Manifest Destiny also helped inspire many Americans to travel out west and search for new land.

Why did people travel on Oregon Trail

Many people went on the Oregon Trail to get free farmland. Some went hoping to find better health or better living conditions. Some went to escape problems. Others went for adventure and to seek new experiences.

The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail began in 1843 and did not end until 1866. It was the best land route for travel to the western United States. It was the only practical way for settlers in wagons with their tools, livestock, and supplies to cross the mountains. The journey took approximately six months. It was about 2,170 miles long from Missouri to Oregon. By the time the first transcontinental railroad was completed, there were over 500,000 people who made the trip across the country into Oregon. Oxen were used to pull the wagons because they could pull heavy loads. Oxen could survive on eating the grass along the way.

Dangers of Oregon Trail

On there Oregon Trail, there were many dangers. Such as the weather and disease. Half-dozen emigrants were killed by lightning strikes; many others were injured by hail. The biggest problem on the Trail was cholera. At that time there was no cure. Often, an emigrant would go from healthy to dead in just a few hours. Sometimes they received a proper burial, but often, the sick would be abandoned.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition out west passed the Mississippi River. Jefferson hoped that they would find a water passage between the Pacific Ocean and the Missouri River. The exploration didn’t begin until October 13, 1803 and ended September 23,1806. The expedition traveled over 8000 total miles over a period of 2 years, 4 months and 10 days.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition
Oregon Trail · The first emigrants to go to Oregon were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in 1836 · The main western migration did not start until 1843

Websites Found: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h189.html http://www.frontiertrails.com/oldwest/oregontrail.htm http://www.42explore2.com/oregon.htm http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/lewis-clark/ http://history-world.org/westward_movement.htm http://www.isu.edu/%7Etrinmich/Introduction.html