USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Free land in Oregon and the possibility of finding gold in California lured them westward. At the same time, eastern churches wanted to teach American Indians of the Oregon Country their European ideas of “civilization.” Many simply hoped for a chance to start a new life.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Oregon Trail was the main route that migrants used to travel from the east of the USA, to the west. First published by explorer Jedidiah Smith in 1825, it was the only practical way for migrants to make this journey.

Detailed explanation-3: -Explanation: The rich farmlands of Oregon drew thousands of settlers. The land was free to those who could make it the Oregon Territory. People who were farming on marginal lands in Indiana, illinois and Missouri found the lure of rich farmland in the Willamette valley irresistible.

Detailed explanation-4: -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.