USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -One of the largest groups to move west was the Mormons . From 1847 to 1868, 70, 000 Mormon pioneers made the trek on foot, in wagon trains, or handcart companies to “Zion” (Salt Lake Valley) hoping to find a home where they could practice their religious beliefs without persecution.

Detailed explanation-2: -Mormon Trail, in U.S. history, the route taken by Mormons from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Great Salt Lake in what would become the state of Utah. After Mormon leader Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob in 1844, church members realized that their settlement at Nauvoo was becoming increasingly untenable.

Detailed explanation-3: -The first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (historically known as Mormons) arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. They immigrated to what is now Utah, which was then a part of Mexico, to plant fields, build homes, open businesses, and establish a religious community.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Mormons, as they were commonly known, had moved west to escape religious discrimination. After the murder of founder and prophet Joseph Smith, they knew they had to leave their old settlement in Illinois. Many Mormons died in the cold, harsh winter months as they made their way over the Rocky Mountains to Utah.