Independence, Missouri By the 1840’s, it was the most popular “jumping off” point for pioneers to stock their wagons with supplies before heading out to Oregon or California. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints attempted to make Independence their Zion, or holy capital.
Why was Independence Missouri important?
Independence, Missouri was founded in 1827 to serve as the westernmost port of the fur trade on the Missouri River. It later served as a jumping-off point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails, and two battles were fought here in the Civil War.
Why did people leave Independence Missouri?
From 1841 to 1849, wagon trains headed to Oregon and California left from Independence Town Square and followed the Santa Fe Trail into Kansas. However, sandbars building up at the steamboat landing and a cholera epidemic in 1849 prompted emigrants to bypass Independence for Westport.
What was the importance of Independence Missouri to the Santa Fe?
Near the western terminus of transportation on the Missouri River, Independence was the starting point for the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails and later became a rendezvous for wagon trains to the California gold mines.
Why was Independence Missouri a good place to start the Oregon Trail?
They were typically about as reliable as the guidebooks. The initial jumping-off spot for emigrants to Oregon was Independence, Missouri. Its location on both the Missouri River and the Santa Fe Trail destined it for this status.
What 3 trails all started in Independence Missouri Why was this a significant location?
In addition to the Oregon Trail, Independence, MO, was also the starting point for the California and Santa Fe trails. Oregon promised land, California promised gold, and Santa Fe promised trade. From 1821-49, tens of thousands of pioneers and traders descended on Independence to outfit themselves for their journeys.
Which discovery made American settlers travel west in the 1840s and 1850s?
Overview. The 1848 discovery of gold in California set off a frenzied Gold Rush to the state the next year as hopeful prospectors, called “forty-niners,” poured into the state. This massive migration to California transformed the state’s landscape and population.
What is the meaning of Independence Missouri?
Independence was the farthest point westward on the Missouri River where the steamboats or other cargo vessels could travel, due to the convergence of the Kansas River with the Missouri River approximately six miles west of town, near the current Kansas-Missouri border.
How did settlers get to Independence Missouri?
Thousands of wagon trains slowly snaked their way along rugged trails, crossing wind-swept prairies, barren deserts, and formidable mountain ranges. The pioneer adventurers faced severe weather, accidents, deadly plagues, and many other dangers to seek trade, new homes and opportunities in the West.
How did people get to Independence Missouri?
In the meantime, William Becknell had blazed the Santa Fe Trail in 1821, from Franklin, Missouri, some 100 miles to the east, passing right through the area that would later become Independence. As the town grew, it soon became the eastern terminus of the Santa Fe Trail.
How was the Santa Fe Trail different after 1848?
After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the more settled parts of the United States to the new southwest territories.
What was the importance of the Santa Fe Trail?
The Santa Fe Trail was mainly a trade route but saw its share of emigrants, especially during the California Gold Rush and the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in Colorado. The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express.
Why did some settlers decide to take the Santa Fe Trail?
After Louisiana (New France) was sold to the United States in 1803 (Louisiana Purchase), Americans improved and publicized the Santa Fe Trail beginning in 1822, in order to take advantage of new trade opportunities with Mexico which had just won independence from Spain in the Mexican War of Independence.
Did the Oregon Trail start in Independence Missouri?
The trail began at the old Independence Landing north of Independence, Missouri. Here emigrants left steamboats after a five or six day journey from St. Louis. The center of activity in the small town of Independence was the bustling square.
Can you walk the Oregon Trail today?
In some places, the historic trail is a current modern-day hiking trail. In others, it could be a modern-day asphalt road. Experiences vary, so please check with individual locations for more details.
What was the most important landmark on the Oregon Trail?
Among the most significant were Fort Kearny (present-day Kearney, Nebraska), at a spot on the Platte River where all trails from the east merged; Fort Laramie, an important resupply point before the trail ventured through Wyoming; Fort Bridger (southwestern Wyoming), where the Mormon Trail branched southward off the
How far did the pioneers typically walk each day for 6 months?
Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled. 7:30 am: Men ride ahead on horses with shovels to clear out a path, if needed.
What type of animal pulled the wagons?
The emigrants used horses, oxen and mules to pull their wagons. The most popular animal with emigrants was the ox. It was cheaper, stronger and easier to work than horses or mules.
What is a jumping off town?
JUMPING-OFF PLACES, the towns along the border of American frontier settlement where emigrants completed their outfitting for the journey across the Plains during the 1840s and 1850s.
Why was Independence Rock such a welcome sight for the pioneers?
Pioneers believed that the rock marked the eastern border of the Rocky Mountains. They felt well on their way if they could reach Independence Rock by the Fourth of July. Those who did often celebrated America’s birthday.
What were the 5 reasons for westward expansion?
What were 5 reasons for westward expansion? | free land railroad gold and silver adventure and opportunity cattle |
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What were some challenges the cowboys faced on the long drive? | Violent storms, wind, rain, moving rivers, stampedes, rustlers, hot sun, discrimination, and 15 hours on the saddle |