USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Many of these people were involved with the fur trade and would use the well worn trails of the Native Americans. Travel overland was mainly by horse, mule, and foot until the later 1830s when wagons slowly worked their way into the region. The Oregon Trail began seeing mass migration involving wagon trains in 1843.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2, 000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, that was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west. The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon.

Detailed explanation-3: -Every pioneer had his or her own reasons for heading west. Some had heard about the rich farmland in the area that would later become Oregon, others traveled to escape an economic recession in the Eastern cities. Still, others felt that the change of climate would help them overcome chronic ailments.

Detailed explanation-4: -Stream and river crossings, steep descents and ascents, violent storms, and the persistent threat of disease among large groups of travelers were the most common challenges. Disease was the greatest threat on the trail, especially cholera, which struck wagon trains in years of heavy travel.