California / Oregon trail

• what were the California and oregon trails used for?

  Westward migration by white settlers along these trails - took 8 months to travel this 2000 mile journey
• how did individuals travel along these trails?

  by wagons in 'trains' (groups of wagons)
• what obstacle did these white settlers have to overcome?

  Rocky mountains - lead to accidents
• what issues did individuals face on this journey westwards?

  -hunger

  -disease

  -conflict
• manifest destiny - the idea that it was americas god-given right to expand westwards (from sea to shining sea)
• when was the economic crisis in the east and how did this lead to westward migration?

  1837 - banks collapsed, land was overpopulated and jobs were lost
• What happened in 1871 that led to greater westward expansion?

  pre-emption act : any farmer in Oregon who built a house and cleared trees could buy surrounding land
• word spread in newspapers of the success of early migration in the west and how land was far cheaper and more fertile here - this encouraged people to move westwards
• mountain men mapped routes and made them safe - helped early migration westwards
• difficulties faced on germans westward:

  settlers faced: disease, hunger and weather conditions - rocky mountains were an obstacle that caused accidents. The Donnor Party got trapped in a snow storm - cannibalism

  threats from natives faced: risk of being raided by natives for resources, crossing through their land, you could buy meat from them - if you could not find them then risk of starvation