The first group of people to move into a new land and settle there were called?
Pioneers
100
How long did it take pioneers to travel the Oregon Trail?
4-6 months
100
Where is the official beginning of the Oregon Trail?
Independence, Missouri
100
When pioneers arrived at a river, sometimes they had to wait several days until they could cross the river. What are two reasons why they may have been delayed?
The weather and too many people.
100
Not including the oxen, what was the most important animal for pioneers to bring along and why?
Cow (for milk, and if needed, meat)
200
What is the main reason people traveled west on the Oregon Trail?
a) Land
200
What would happen to the people that would not fit the wagon for the trip?
They would walk the entire 2,000 mile trip.
200
Where is the official end of the Oregon Trail?
Oregon City, Oregon
200
Name 3 dangers you may encounter on the trail west.
What kinds of foods could the pioneers find out on the trail?
They could find wild game, fish, berries, roots, reptiles, nuts and mushrooms.
300
A group of covered wagons that traveled together on a long trip west was called a
Wagon Train
300
What was the best time of year to start the trip west and why?
Spring (So the grass is tall enough to feed all the oxen and animals along the way)
300
These were used to guide pioneers along the trail, since road signs weren't invented yet
Landmarks
300
What was the number one cause of death on the trail?
Diseases, in particular water-borne diseases like cholera.
300
If the pioneers were running low on supplies out on the trail, how might they restock their provisions?
1. The pioneers could hunt, fish or gather roots and berries.
2. They could purchase supplies at the forts.
3. They could trade with the Native Americans.
400
What was Missouri’s nickname during the trail days?
“Gateway to the West”
400
Name 2 places pioneers may have slept.
A tent, a wagon box, or a blanket or buffalo robe under the stars
400
Why did some pioneers carve their names into landmarks along the trail out west?
To make sure that people who arrived after them, knew they had made it that far
400
How did weather dictate when the pioneers should leave their jumping off towns?
The pioneers would need to leave early enough in the year to beat the snows in the western mountains. They would also need to leave late enough in the spring to miss the rainy season, so their wagons wouldn’t get bogged down in the mud and so the rivers wouldn’t be swollen.
400
Name 4 important tools pioneers would need either on the trail or after they settled in the west
Saws, ax, hammers, knives, guns, and nails
500
Name 5 different kinds of people (jobs/skills) who went west on the Oregon Trail.
1. Emigrants could use a ferry, (some ferries were operated by Native Americans, some were operated by the Mormons and other entrepreneurs).
2. They could caulk their wagons and float them across the river.
3. They could ford the river.
4. They could swim across the river.
5. They could use one of the few bridges that were in place.
500
What rock formation were the pioneers trying to reach on or around Independence Day?
Independence Rock
500
Name two reasons why accidental gunfire became one of the leading causes of injury and death on the trail?
1. Lack of experience with guns led to accidents.
2. Packing loaded guns into the wagon.
500
If the pioneers were taking a wagon out west what are the top five essentials they would need take with them?
1. Animals to pull the wagons (horses, mules or oxen)
2. Weapons and ammunition
3. Tools
4. Food and cooking utensils
5. Clothing and blankets