Shootings, drownings, being crushed by wagon wheels, and injuries from handling domestic animals were the common killers on the trail. Wagon accidents were the most prevalent. Both children and adults sometimes fell off or under wagons and were crushed under the wheels.
What were three dangers travelers faced on the Trails West?
From crippling diseases, to wagon accidents, dangerous weather, wild creatures, and attacks by Native Americans, life was very difficult on the journey west.
What was the biggest dangers faced by travelers on the Oregon Trail?
Disease. Cholera may have been the biggest danger facing pioneers along the Oregon Trail. Cholera is a bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract and causes rapid loss of bodily fluids, often leading to death with hours. The disease spread rapidly through polluted water shared by pioneers at common campgrounds
What problems did the Western settlers face?
As settlers and homesteaders moved westward to improve the land given to them through the Homestead Act, they faced a difficult and often insurmountable challenge. The land was difficult to farm, there were few building materials, and harsh weather, insects, and inexperience led to frequent setbacks.
What challenges did people face moving west?
Once they embarked, settlers faced numerous challenges: oxen dying of thirst, overloaded wagons, and dysentery, among others. Trails were poorly marked and hard to follow, and travelers often lost their way. Guidebooks attempted to advise travelers, but they were often unreliable.
What are three facts about the Oregon Trail?
Check out nine surprising facts about the route that once served as the gateway to the American West.
- The Oregon Trail didn’t follow a single set path.
- A pair of Protestant missionaries made one of the trail’s first wagon crossings.
- The iconic Conestoga wagon was rarely used on the Oregon Trail.
What were the consequences of the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail helped to change how the United States grew. It helped to move the population westward from the overpopulated East. If it was not for the Oregon Trail, many of the western states would not be or even look like they do today. The trail also helped spread culture and religious beliefs.
What were the 3 main problems the early settlers faced?
Food shortages, disease and illness, establishing relations with the native Powhatan Indians and the lack of skilled labor were the pri- mary problems the early settlers faced.
What problems did the Western settlers face quizlet?
There were four problems the Western states had to face: more roads were needed to improve transportation; land prices had to be inexpensive and regulated by the central government; loans from banks had to be available to farmers; and markets for farm goods had to be protected by the government.
Which three factors were key to westward movement?
Overview. Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age.
What did pioneers need to survive?
The pioneers would take with them as many supplies as possible. They took cornmeal, bacon, eggs, potatoes, rice, beans, yeast, dried fruit, crackers, dried meat, and a large barrel of water that was tied to the side of the wagon.
How were the natives treated during westward expansion?
Tribes were also often underpaid for the land allotments, and when individuals did not accept the government requirements, their allotments were sold to non-Native individuals, causing American Indian communities to lose vast acreage of their tribal lands.
What would you bring on the Oregon Trail?
- flour:
- $0.02 per pound.
- “Recommended for each adult: 150 lbs. of flour, 20 lbs. of corn meal, 50 lbs. of bacon, 40 lbs. of sugar, 10 lbs. of coffee, 15 lbs. of dried fruit, 5 lbs.
- corn meal: $0.05 per pound.
- bacon: $0.05 per pound.
- sugar: $0.04 per pound.
- coffee: $0.10 per pound.
- dried fruit: $0.06 per pound.
What was the main cause of death on the Oregon Trail?
Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive. The two biggest causes of death were disease and accidents.
What were two challenges of traveling on the Oregon Trail?
Stream and river crossings, steep descents and ascents, violent storms, and the persistent threat of disease among large groups of travelers were the most common challenges. Disease was the greatest threat on the trail, especially cholera, which struck wagon trains in years of heavy travel.
Does Oregon Trail still exist?
Although the original Oregon Trail led weary travelers from Independence, Missouri, to where Oregon City is located today, now, the Oregon Trail starts in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and doesn’t end until Cannon Beach, Oregon, turning it into a full cross-country trip.
What dangers were faced by those who went west by wagon?
Wagon trains
Sandstorms were common crossing the plains. Also thunder storms, flooding or droughts could put a party in danger. Wagon trains could also be hit by disease. Cholera or typhus could strike and affected families would be left behind so as to not to spread the disease.
What were the pros and cons of the Oregon Trail?
- 1 Pro: Established Route. The biggest pro in favor of taking the Oregon Trail was that it was an established route with many other pioneers taking it.
- 2 Pro: Army Protection. The United States actively encouraged the settlement of the West.
- 3 Con: Indian Raids.
- 4 Con: Disease.
What was the main weakness of the Oregon Trail?
Major threats to pioneer life and limb came from accidents, exhaustion, and disease. Crossing rivers were probably the most dangerous thing pioneers did. Swollen rivers could tip over and drown both people and oxen.
What obstacles did the early settlers have to face?
Faced with sickness, disease, malnutrition and retaliatory attacks by the Indians, the colony was brought to the brink of extinction.
What was the greatest challenge faced by the first European settlers in America?
The biggest problems they had to face were themselves. They had to face the fear of being in a new place, the fear of failure which could result in their deaths. They faced their other characteristics as well, when they finally were able to settle and became confident they then faced their ego.