Migration and Early Settlement

• What was a major pull factor for westward migration?


  Good quality farmland available for free in Oregon
• What event in 1849 encouraged migration to California?


  The Gold Rush spurred many to seek fortune in California
• What was the Oregon Trail?


  A route facilitating migration to Oregon and California
• What economic event pushed people west in 1837?


  The collapse of banks and rising unemployment rates
• Who first used the Oregon Trail in 1836?


  Missionaries were the first to travel the trail
• What ideology supported westward expansion?

  Manifest Destiny believed settlers were ‘destined’ to expand
• What was a significant problem on the Oregon Trail?


  Many migrants suffered from cholera during their journey
• How did Mormons prepare for their migration?


  Brigham Young ensured families and supplies were organised
• What major challenges faced settlers in the Great Plains?


  Low rainfall and harsh climate made farming difficult
• Pull Factor:

  Farmland in Oregon - Good quality farmland located to the west of the Rocky Mountains could be used by migrants for free
• The Gold Rush - In 1849, gold was discovered in California's mountains
• Oregon Trail - Going to Oregon and California was easier when people used this route through the Rocky Mountains
• Push Factor

  Economic crisis in the eastern portion of North America (1837) - Collapse of banks, falling wages, rising unemployment rates
• Push factor:

  Farming problems in the East (1837) - Falling prices of corn, no money for farmers. Overcrowding of farmland was also prevalent
• The Oregon Trail, 1836

  In 1825, the route through the Rocky Mountains was known as the Oregon Trail. Missionaries were the first people to use this route using wagons in 1836. In 1840, the Walker family was the first family to make the trip. Three years later, around 900 people used the trail, which was called the Great Emigration
• Government Support

  As part of its expansion efforts, the US government encouraged people to migrate to Oregon to make it an official part of the US territory. More than 5,000 people moved westward and used the Oregon Trail by 1846. In 1841, the US government allotted $30,000 to map the Oregon Trail to serve as a guide for settlers
• The Oregon Trail, 1836

  • Oregon had land of good quality and was free for farmers to cultivate
  • It was impossible to get wagons across the Rocky Mountains until the South Pass was discovered
  • The Oregon Trail passed through Indian land in the Great Plains
  • The trail started in Independence, Missouri by travelling along the Missouri River using boats
  • People could travel to Oregon and California by sea, but it was prohibitively expensive at that time
• The Gold Rush of 1849

  • Gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California in 1848 and people used the Oregon Trail in search of fortune
• The Gold Rush of 1849

  • Hundreds and thousands of prospectors traveled to the west to find gold. Some prospectors were not able to find gold yet still settled.
• The Gold Rush of 1849

  • Businesses boomed in California as demand from prospectors included food, drinks, clothing, equipment and entertainment