TAG 4th Grade Westward Expansion Week 5 Assignment

Directions:

You will be completing a decision-making lesson to decide which of the four major trails west you would

take. Choosing the best trail was a tough decision for pioneers headed west. They knew that each trail

came with its own challenges and dangers. As you complete this assignment, pretend that it is you and

your family that has to make this decision. Which trail do you think would be best for your family if you

were pioneers headed west?

Step 1- Read the information about all four trails.

Step 2- Complete the Trails West Comparison chart using facts from the reading.

Step 3- Complete the Decision-Making Grid in order to decide which trail is the best for you. You will

have to create your criteria for choosing a trail. Some examples of criteria are: Is this trail safe? Is this

the shortest trail? Have most people been successful on this trail? Remember that in each square of

the grid you will answer yes or no and include a supporting fact for your answer.

Step 4- Using the US map included draw your trail of choice and include the obstacles you will face.

Extension: Create a SWAY or Powerpoint to advertise the trail you chose. Your SWAY/Powerpoint

should highlight all the exciting features of the trail.

THE CALIFORNIA TRAIL

The California Trail was one of several major routes used by settlers during westward expansion. The trail itself followed the same path as the Oregon Trail until Fort Hall, Idaho, where it spiraled southwest along the Humboldt River through the Great Basin of Nevada, the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, and finally to Sutter’s Fort, (Sacramento) California.

Over 250,000 gold-seekers and farmers-to-be used the trail to seek fortune in the mines, or, to settle on farm homesteads from the late 1840’s to the late 1860’s. Like most of the overland migration trails, the California Trail was no longer used after the introduction of the railroads.

Stop One: Independence, Missouri

Independence, named after the Declaration of Independence, was founded in 1827 and quickly became an important frontier town. As the farthest place west on the Missouri River that steamboats could carry cargo, it was essential as a transportation port, and would become the starting point for the Oregon Trail. In 1831, Joseph Smith and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempted to construct their temple in the city. Because of tensions with the local population, however, they were expelled, and the Mormons would eventually settle in Utah.

Stop Two: Great Plains

The Great Plains is a vast expanse of prairie and flatlands extending across the middle section of the United States. The area is characterized by flat grasslands or rolling hills with relatively few trees. The area has been historically used for farming, ranching, and manufacturing. Some areas of the Great Plains are completely devoid of people, and others have just four or five people per thousand square miles. Much of the Great Plains is known as "Tornado Alley" because most of the nation’s tornadoes occur here. The Great Plains area is the home of the American Bison. Millions once roamed here before westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s.

Stop Three: Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, located in the badlands of western Nebraska, is one of the most famous symbols of the old west. The rock itself is a towering geologic formation that looks like a hill that has a chimney. It towers some 300 feet above the North Platte River valley and lies at an elevation of 4,226 feet. Chimney Rock was an important landmark for travelers on the Oregon Trail. Today, it stands forever as a symbol of the great westward migration of the 1800’s, as part of Chimney Rock National Historic Site. It is estimated that over 500,000 travelers passed the rock on their way to destinations in the west.

Stop Four: Fort Laramie

Fort Laramie, located in eastern Wyoming, was an important 19th century fur trading post and U.S. military installation. During the 1850’s, it was the primary stopping point for settlers traveling on the Oregon Trail. The Fort’s name was immortalized in two treaties, both known as The Treaty of Fort Laramie, in 1851 and 1868, regarding Indians and White settlement. After the railroads came to Wyoming, the fort lost importance. It was decommissioned in 1889, and now stands as a landmark in the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

Stop Five: Rocky Mountains

The towering Rocky Mountains represented the most physically challenging portion of the Oregon Trail. Travelers along the trail were forced to pass the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming and Idaho, and then the Cascades Range in Oregon.

Stop Six: Fort Hall

Fort Hall was built in 1834 by fur-trapper Nathaniel Jarvis Wyeth to sell supplies to mountain men and trappers. In 1837, Wyeth sold the fort to the Hudson Bay Company of England. Fort Hall became a popular resting point for thousands of trail travelers, as well as an important trading post for the Shoshone Indians. By 1863, however, the fort was completely abandoned.

Stop Seven: Great Basin

Encompassing the entire state of Nevada, and much of Utah, Idaho, and Oregon, the Great Basin is an dry, mountainous area in the western United States, between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Range. It consists of a series of mountain ranges in Nevada, and the basin itself is a series of watersheds with no outlet to the sea or to a river that flows to the sea. Any precipitation that falls evaporates, seeps into ground, or forms playas, short lived lakes that eventually evaporate. Great Basin National Park also features ancient bristlecone pines. One tree, cut down in 1964, was found to be nearly 5,000 years old, making it the oldest tree ever known.

Stop Eight: Sierra Nevada Range

The Sierra Nevada Range is almost entirely within California. Only a small section of the range lies in western Nevada, next to the Great Basin. The rugged Sierra Nevada range was the last obstacle for westward travelers on the California Trail. It was here, in November of 1846, where the Donner’s and other families (collectively known as the Donner Party) became stranded high in the mountains after a major snowfall blocked their path. Unable to travel past snow drifts that rose 5-10 feet high, the travelers quickly ran out of food, forcing some to resort to cannibalism after members of the party had starved to death. Of the 87 people originally with the party, 48 survived and made it to their final destination.

Stop Nine: Sutter’s Fort

Sutter’s Fort was built in 1839 by John Sutter as an agricultural and trading colony in the Sierra Nevada Range of northern California. It marked the final destination for California-bound travelers on the trail, as well as for fortune-seekers during the California Gold Rush of 1849.

THE MORMON TRAIL

The Mormon Trail was a 1,300 mile path from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City Utah, used between 1846 and 1857 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Under the leadership of Brigham Young, the first group of Mormons set out from Nauvoo, to an undetermined destination somewhere in the Great Basin. Young hoped to find a place sufficiently isolated and undesirable so that his people would not be bothered and could worship without persecution. When the settlers finally reached the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young is documented to have said , "This is the right place, drive on." Over the next 11 years, more than 13,000 Mormons poured into northern Utah.

Stop One: Nauvoo, Illinois

Independence, named after the Declaration of Independence, was founded in 1827 and quickly became an important frontier town. As the farthest place west on the Missouri River that steamboats could carry cargo, it was essential as a transportation port. In 1831, Joseph Smith and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempted to construct their temple in the city. Because of tensions with the local population, however, they were expelled, and the Mormons would eventually settle in Utah.

Stop Two: Council Bluffs, Iowa

Located on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River, Council Bluffs was settled in 1846 as the main outfitting point on the Mormon Trail. It was originally called Kanesville, after Civil War general and abolitionist Thomas L. Kane. It was in Kanesvile where thousands of Mormons spent the winter of 1846, before embarking toward the west on the Mormon Trail. The name was changed to Council Bluffs following the departure of the Mormons.

Stop 3: Platte River

The Platte River played a crucial role in America’s westward expansion. The Platte River is one of the most important migratory stopovers for waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, and the endangered Whooping Crane.

Stop 4: Great Plains

The Great Plains is a vast expanse of prairie and flatlands extending across the middle section of the United States. The area is characterized by flat grasslands or rolling hills with relatively few trees. The area has been historically used for farming, ranching, and manufacturing. Some areas of the Great Plains are completely devoid of people, and others have just four or five people per thousand square miles. Much of the Great Plains is known as "Tornado Alley" because most of the nation’s tornadoes occur here. The Great Plains area is the home of the American Bison. Millions once roamed here before westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s.

Stop 5: Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, located in the badlands of western Nebraska, is one of the most famous symbols of the old west. The rock itself is a towering geologic formation that looks like a hill that has a chimney. It towers some 300 feet above the North Platte River valley and lies at an elevation of 4,226 feet. Chimney Rock was an important landmark for travelers on the Oregon Trail. Today, it stands forever as a symbol of the great westward migration of the 1800’s, as part of Chimney Rock National Historic Site. It is estimated that over 500,000 travelers passed the rock on their way to destinations in the west.

Stop 6: Rocky Mountains

The towering Rocky Mountains represented the most physically challenging portion of the Oregon Trail. Travelers along the trail were forced to pass the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming and Idaho, and then the Cascades Range in Oregon.

Stop 7: Great Salt Lake

Great Salt Lake City was founded by Brigham Young and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1847. It marked the end of the 1,300 mile long Mormon Trail. The Mormons were looking for an isolated place to practice their religious beliefs without being persecuted, and had been expelled from Missouri and Illinois. Immediately, the settlers began building their temple, which was completed 40 years later. The settlers organized a new state, which they called Deseret. Congress denied their petition for statehood and instead created the Utah Territory. Salt Lake City (the "Great" was dropped) was named capital of the territory in 1858.

THE OREGON TRAIL

The Oregon Trail was a legendary migration route that brought settlers from Missouri to Oregon during the era of westward expansion in the 1800’s. The trail spanned over 2,170 miles through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon, through the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains. Settlers were offered free land (until 1854) in Oregon’s Willamette Valley for making the brutal journey on their prairie schooners. The trail was used from 1841 to 1869. The average family made it to Oregon City in about four months. It was rendered obsolete in 1869, with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Stop One: Independence, Missouri

Independence, named after the Declaration of Independence, was founded in 1827 and quickly became an important frontier town. As the farthest place west on the Missouri River that steamboats could carry cargo, it was essential as a transportation port, and would become the starting point for the Oregon Trail. In 1831, Joseph Smith and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempted to construct their temple in the city. Because of tensions with the local population, however, they were expelled, and the Mormons would eventually settle in Utah.

Stop Two: Platte River

The Platte River played a crucial role in America’s westward expansion. Significant portions of the Oregon Trail followed the shallow river. The Platte River is one of the most important migratory stopovers for waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, and the endangered Whooping Crane.

Stop 3: Great Plains

The Great Plains is a vast expanse of prairie and flatlands extending across the middle section of the United States. The area is characterized by flat grasslands or rolling hills with relatively few trees. The area has been historically used for farming, ranching, and manufacturing. Some areas of the Great Plains are completely devoid of people, and others have just four or five people per thousand square miles. Much of the Great Plains is known as "Tornado Alley" because most of the nation’s tornadoes occur here. The Great Plains area is the home of the American Bison. Millions once roamed here before westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s.

Stop 4: Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, located in the badlands of western Nebraska, is one of the most famous symbols of the old west. The rock itself is a towering geologic formation that looks like a hill that has a chimney. It towers some 300 feet above the North Platte River valley and lies at an elevation of 4,226 feet. Chimney Rock was an important landmark for travelers on the Oregon Trail. Today, it stands forever as a symbol of the great westward migration of the 1800’s, as part of Chimney Rock National Historic Site. It is estimated that over 500,000 travelers passed the rock on their way to destinations in the west.

Stop 4: Fort Laramie

Fort Laramie, located in eastern Wyoming, was an important 19th century fur trading post and U.S. military installation. During the 1850’s, it was the primary stopping point for settlers traveling on the Oregon Trail. The Fort’s name was immortalized in two treaties, both known as The Treaty of Fort Laramie, in 1851 and 1868, regarding Indians and White settlement. After the railroads came to Wyoming, the fort lost importance. It was decommissioned in 1889, and now stands as a landmark in the Fort Laramie National Historic Site.

Stop 5: Soda Springs

Soda Springs, located in eastern Idaho, was a well-known landmark to both Native Americans and to travelers on the Oregon Trail. The town is named for the thousands of carbonated water natural springs that are located in the area. Today, in Hooper Springs Park, visitors can sample the carbonated water just as westward-bound travelers did some 160 years ago.

Stop 6: Rocky Mountains

The towering Rocky Mountains represented the most physically challenging portion of the Oregon Trail. Travelers along the trail were forced to pass the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming and Idaho, and then the Cascades Range in Oregon.

Stop 7: Fort Boise

Fort Boise was a fur-trading post of the Hudson-Bay Company of England. Built in 1834, the small adobe hut was meant to compete in the local fur-trading market with nearby Fort Hall. Although it ultimately failed in the fur-trading industry, it became an important supply line along the Oregon Trail until 1854, when it was abandoned due to severe flooding and frequent Indian raids. In 1863, the U.S. military built a second Fort Boise to protect gold-seekers and travelers on the trail from Indian raids.

Stop 8: The Dalles

The Dalles, located on the Columbia River, was first explored by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805. Later, fur-traders and missionaries came to the area, and the region became known as "The Dalles," meaning "flagstone" in French. In 1838, a Methodist mission was built in the area to give aid to sick and desperate travelers along the Oregon Trail. The Dalles served as a transition point on the trail. For nearly 2,000 miles, travelers trekked through the Great Plains and mountain passes. Past the Dalles, however, most travelers would have to pack up their belongings and float down the Columbia River to make it to their final destination of Oregon City. However, those who could afford to pay a toll could take the Barlow Road, which permitted a land passage to Oregon City. Final Stop: Oregon City

Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains. It was established in 1829 by Dr. John McLoughlin. His goal was to take advantage of the potential hydroelectric power from the falls of the Willamette River to build a lumber mill. In the 1840’s, the city was the final destination for travelers along the Oregon Trail. Once they reached Oregon City, they could file land claims promised by the U.S. Government. From 1848 to 1851, Oregon City was the capital of Oregon Territory.

THE SANTA FE TRAIL

The Santa Fe Trail was an historic trail from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico used in the 1800’s for trade and military purposes. It was about 780 miles in length. It was first used in 1821, and last used in 1880, after the railroads came to New Mexico. The vast majority of the Santa Fe Trail ran through Kansas, much of it along the Arkansas River. A small portion of the trail went through the Oklahoma Panhandle (No Man’s Land), before terminating in northern New Mexico.

Stop One: Independence, Missouri

Independence, named after the Declaration of Independence, was founded in 1827 and quickly became an important frontier town. As the farthest place west on the Missouri River that steamboats could carry cargo, it was essential as a transportation port, and would become the starting point for the Oregon Trail. In 1831, Joseph Smith and his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) attempted to construct their temple in the city. Because of tensions with the local population, however, they were expelled, and the Mormons would eventually settle in Utah.

Stop Two: Great Plains

The Great Plains is a vast expanse of prairie and flatlands extending across the middle section of the United States. The area is characterized by flat grasslands or rolling hills with relatively few trees. The area has been historically used for farming, ranching, and manufacturing. Some areas of the Great Plains are completely devoid of people, and others have just four or five people per thousand square miles. Much of the Great Plains is known as "Tornado Alley" because most of the nation’s tornadoes occur here. The Great Plains area is the home of the American Bison. Millions once roamed here before westward expansion occurred in the 1800’s.

Stop Three: Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is the 5th longest river in the United States. Travelers on the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas would eventually have to make a decision on which route to take to Santa Fe: the Cimarron route through a small portion of Colorado, or, continue along the Arkansas River, west into Colorado to take the Mountain route. While the mountain route took longer, travelers had a continuous source of water and settlers were less likely to be attacked by Native Americans.

Stop Four: Fort Dodge

Dodge City, Kansas was one of America’s most famous "wild west" towns. Born in 1859 as Fort Dodge, the site was established along the Santa Fe Trail to provide westward bound travelers shelter from attacking Indians. Dodge City was established in 1872, five miles west of Fort Dodge. After the railroad was extended through Dodge City, the settlement attracted cowboys, buffalo hunters, soldiers, and railroad workers. Saloons, general stores and blacksmith shops lined the dirt roads. Because there was no local law enforcement, disagreements were settled by fight or duel. Eventually, the famous sheriff Wyatt Earp brought law, before the town was virtually abandoned in 1886.

Stop Five: Bent’s Fort

Bent’s Fort was built in 1833 by William and Charles Bent for use as a trading post with Plains Indians and trappers. Trade was primarily conducted with Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for buffalo robes. Because the fort was the only White settlement on the Santa Fe Trail, it served explorers, adventurers, and the U.S. Army as a place to get needed supplies, wagon repairs,

livestock, food, water, rest, and protection from the Indians. In 1849, the fort was destroyed. Some researchers believe it was attacked by Indians, while others believe it was blown up by the Bent Brothers after a failed attempt to sell it to the U.S. Army.

Stop Six: Santa Fe

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico. It was founded in 1598 as the capital of the province of Nuevo México, an area claimed for Spain by Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. It is the second oldest settlement in America. Santa Fe was the western ending of the Santa Fe Trail, which was used from 1821-1880. The city was the site of a large international trading market, where American merchants took manufactured goods and traded them for furs and other valuable items.

Trails Comparison Chart

Starting / Ending point of the trail

Miles on the trail

Number of people who used the trail

Years the trail was traveled

Challenges of the trail?

Types of transportation used on the trail

St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco, California.

What path would you take? What obstacles would you need to consider?

Trail Criteria

Extra Criteria if needed:

TOTAL

The Mormon Trail

The California Trail

The Santa Fe Trail

The Oregon Trail