The Oregon Trail

NoodleTools Oregon Trail History The Oregon Trail byTodd Underwood The Oregon Trail migration, more correctly known as the Oregon-California Trail migration, is one of the most important events in American History. The Oregon-California trail was a 2,170 mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California that enabled the migrating of the early pioneers to the western United States. The first emigrants to make the trip were Marcus and Narcissa Whitman who made the trip in 1836. This trail was the only feasible land route for settlers to get to the West Coast. In the early Spring, emigrant campers would infiltrate Independence, Missouri and set up camp, waiting for the grass to grow along the Oregon Trail. Most settlers traveled in farm wagons, four feet by ten feet, with a thousand pounds of food. When the time finally came to leave, the settlers would all try to leave at once creating a massive traffic jam further hindered by the inexperience of some of the green east coast teams.

The Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail Imagine walking for 2,000 miles — barefoot. That is what many children did as they traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1800s. Being a pioneer was not easy. The weak did not survive. Go to and read All About the Oregon Trail . Now from the left side of the screen, click on "Historic Sites." Go to Fantastic Facts and then click on "Weird Wagons." Extension Activity Complete your journey by taking a field trip with the students at Monroe Middle School. American Experience . Lost in the Grand Canyon Web Credits | THE FILM & MORE | SPECIAL FEATURE | TIMELINE | MAPS | PEOPLE & EVENTS | TEACHER'S GUIDE Mondays 9/8 C On PBS Pledge Your Support Stories to Go Tiki Toki (Timeline) The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Klondike - Rush for Gold In the summer of 1897 two ocean going steamers landed on the west coast of the United States. One ship, The Excelsior, landed in San Francisco and three days later The Portland landed in Seattle. Down the gangplank of these two ships went a rag-tag group of men and women carrying sacks of gold. Some walked down the docks with $5,000 worth of gold while others had over $100,000 worth. The miners told of the rich claims they had staked one year earlier on a series of small creeks flowing into the Klondike River. The Dawson City Museum presents a glimpse of the journey to the harsh north country of Alaska and Yukon.

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