USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The journey was not easy, but with hard work and determination, it was possible to make a good living in the west. One of the main reasons people moved west was for the land. There was lots of land, good soil for farming, and it could be bought at a cheap price.

Detailed explanation-2: -Pioneers and settlers moved out west for different reasons. Some of them wanted to claim free land for ranching and farming from the government through the Homestead Act. Others came to California during the gold rush to strike it rich. Even others, such as the Mormons, moved west to avoid persecution.

Detailed explanation-3: -Life on the trail was not easy. Many faced family deaths to sicknesses such as cholera, measles, and smallpox. Starvation, harsh weather conditions, and travel accidents were common and took their toll, no matter which trail pioneers chose to travel or how carefully they prepared.

Detailed explanation-4: -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-5: -From the 1840s to the 1860s, more than 300, 000 people crossed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains to reach the Pacific Coast. The route they took was called the Oregon Trail.