What killed most pioneers?

Diseases and serious illnesses caused the deaths of nine out of ten pioneers. Such diseases as cholera, small pox, flu, measles, mumps, tuberculosis could spread quickly through an entire wagon camp. Cholera was the main scourge of the trail.

How long was the Oregon journey?

four to six months

What is not one of the six states the Oregon Trail passed through?

The trail from Independence to Oregon City crossed portions of six present-day states. The first 16 miles were in Missouri, then the trail crossed into Kansas for 165 miles, Nebraska for 424 miles, Wyoming for 491 miles, Idaho for 510 miles and finally Oregon for 524 miles.

Where did Pioneers sleep?

Where did the pioneers sleep? Pioneers slept in or under their wagons. Some slept in a tent and some slept just out under the stars.

What pioneers did for fun?

They had races and played games such as Sheep Over the River, Hide and Seek, Pull the Rope, and Steal-Stick Duck-Stones. They also sang and danced. They made dolls from corn cobs and rags and used a bladder balloon for ball games.

What desserts did Pioneers eat?

What did the pioneers eat for dessert? As for desserts — they were simple, but many and varied. There were apple dump- lings, rice and bread puddings, soft molasses cookies, sugar jumbles, and mincemeat, pumpkin, dried apple, or custard pies. On special occasions we might have lemon pie.

What did pioneers eat for breakfast on the Oregon Trail?

If the unthinkable happened and the coffee supply ran out, the pioneers would resort to sipping corn or pea brew. In addition to coffee or tea, breakfast included something warm, such as cornmeal mush, cornmeal cakes (“Johnny Cakes”) or a bowl of rice. There was usually fresh baked bread or biscuits.

What was the most popular food on the Oregon Trail?

Like flour, pioneers brought along tons of cornmeal for the trail. Cornmeal was easy to make and transport, so travelers got creative with how they used it in their meals. A favorite food on the Oregon Trail was cornmeal pancakes, which could easily be fried up over the campfire.

Did pioneers eat bear meat?

Pioneer food was often stodgy, plain, or altogether absent. In summertime or fall, pioneers might feast on bear meat (Laura’s favorite), buffalo, venison, elk, and antelope, unconstrained by the big game laws of the Old World. But in winter, when nothing grew or could be hunted, pioneers were vulnerable.

What did they take on the Oregon Trail?

They took preserved foods such as hard tack, coffee, bacon, rice, beans, and flour. They also took a few basic cooking utensils such as a coffee pot, some buckets, and an iron skillet. The pioneers didn’t have room for a lot of fancy items. They only had room to pack two or three sets of tough clothing.

Why did Pioneers go to Oregon?

In the years to come, pioneers came to call the route the Oregon Trail. In 1842, a slightly larger group of 100 pioneers made the 2,000-mile journey to Oregon. Farmers dissatisfied with their prospects in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, hoped to find better lives in the supposed paradise of Oregon.

Why is it called the Oregon Trail?

This road to the Far West soon became known by another name—the Oregon Trail. For the most part they were farmers—family men, with wives and children—who had a common goal of seeking a promised land of milk and honey in far-off Oregon, about which they knew as little as they did about how to get there.

What are 5 interesting facts about Oregon?

Fun Facts

Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in the United States.
At 1949 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States.
The Oregon state flag has a beaver on the back.
The University of Oregon mascot is the Ducks.
Oregon has the most ghost towns of any state.

Who found the Oregon Trail?

Robert Stuart

Why is the Oregon Trail important to American history?

The Oregon Trail, which stretched for about 2,000 miles (3,200 km), flourished as the main means for hundreds of thousands of emigrants to reach the Northwest from the early 1840s through the 1860s. It crossed varied and often difficult terrain that included large territories occupied by Native Americans.

Why was the Oregon Territory important?

Polk on June 15th, 1846. The Oregon Treaty was one of the first successes of Manifest Destiny. The Oregon Territory, was valuable to both the U.S. and Britain. The signing of the treaty in 1846 was important to Manifest Destiny because it showed the U.S. was willing to fight for westward expansion.

What life was like on the Oregon Trail?

Life on the trail was not easy. Many faced family deaths to sicknesses such as cholera, measles, and smallpox. Starvation, harsh weather conditions, and travel accidents were common and took their toll, no matter which trail pioneers chose to travel or how carefully they prepared.

What did the US gain from the Oregon Territory?

In 1846 the Oregon Treaty was signed between the US and Britain to settle the boundary dispute. The British gained the land north of the 49th parallel, including the Vancouver Island and the United States received the territory south of the parallel.

Who went to Oregon during Manifest Destiny?

Missionaries Blaze the Oregon Trail By the 1840s, the Manifest Destiny had Americans in the East eager to expand their horizons. While Lewis and Clark had made their way west from 1804 to 1806, merchants, traders and trappers were also among the first people to forge a path across the Continental Divide.

What did the Oregon Territory include?

In 1846, the Oregon boundary dispute between the U.S. and Britain was settled with the signing of the Oregon Treaty. The Territory of Oregon originally encompassed all of the present-day states of Idaho, Oregon and Washington, as well as those parts of present-day Montana and Wyoming west of the Continental Divide.

What weapons did pioneers use on the Oregon Trail?

Bacon was often hauled in large barrels packed in bran so the hot sun would not melt the fat. Each man took a rifle or shotgun and some added a pistol. A good hunting knife was essential. Farm implements such as a plow, shovel, scythe, rake, hoe; plus carpentry tools – saw, broad axe, mallet, plane.