The Oregon Trail: Pathway to the West (Milestones in American History)

During the 19th century, hardy pioneers used the Oregon Trail to migrate to the Pacific Northwest. This book focuses on the period of 1840-1859, when approximately 52,000 pioneers moved to Oregon, and nearly five times that opted to move to California or Utah. "During the 19th century, hardy pioneers used the Oregon Trail to migrate to the Pacific Northwest. The five- to six-month journey spanned 2,170 miles west through territories that became the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. However, the journey west was not necessarily a smooth one. According to some statistics, about one-tenth of the emigrants perished along the way. After the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, traffic along the Oregon Trail declined. Yet, the trail was used until modern highways were constructed parallel to large portions of the trail during the 1890s. The Oregon Trail: Pathway to the West focuses on the period of 1840-1859, when approximately 52,000 pioneers moved to Oregon, and nearly five times that opted to move to California and Utah."--Publisher's website Contents......Page 6 1: Introduction......Page 8 2: Traders and Trappers......Page 21 3: New Pioneers on the Trail......Page 39 4: New Missions in Oregon......Page 50 5: Wagon Road West......Page 62 6: Preparing the Way West......Page 78 7: The Way of the Western Emigrant......Page 94 8: A Flood of Emigrants......Page 114 Chronology......Page 132 Notes......Page 137 Bibliography......Page 140 Further Reading......Page 142 Photo Credits......Page 144 Index......Page 145 About the Author......Page 149 Traders and trappers New pioneers on the trail New missions in Oregon Wagon road west Preparing the way west The way of the western emigrant A flood of emigrants Chronology and timeline.