Barriers and Gateways
Rocky Mountains, Harsh Weather, lack of water
What are three barriers people encountered when moving westward?
Education, light, telegraphs,
What are three symbols seen in this painting?
enacted during the Civil War in 1862, provided that any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of surveyed government land. Claimants were required to live on and “improve” their plot by cultivating the land.
What is homesteading?
Canals, Rivers, Flatlands
What are three gateways used during westward expansion?
A new way to travel west in search for a new life.
What does the train symbolize in the painting?
Coined the term "Manifest Destiny"
Who was John L. O’Sullivan?
Snake bites, illness, robbers, angry natives
What are some dangers that pioneers encountered while traveling west?
Fear of the White man taking their land.
What does the terrified Native Indian symbolize in the painting?
Enabled people to settle in a less populated land for cheaper than the big cities, allowed people to buy and sell crops easily, and created many new jobs
How did the invention of the transcontinental railroad impact westward expansion?
Money, Land, and Freedom
What are some reasons people looked for gateways to move west?
cheap land, new agricultural technology, new jobs, gold rush
What does the land stand for in the painting?
Former slaves now free, people Free from government restrictions, Manifest Destiny, Gold Rush
What does Freedom look like during Westward Expansion?
death from lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites, disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.
What were some dangers on the trail?
What and how did people travel on the Oregon Trail?
In 1850, it cost roughly $800 to $1,200 to obtain a proper outfit and get by for a whole year without harvesting a crop. In today's dollars, this would be equivalent to $32,000 to $48,000. The Emigrant's Guide, published in 1849 in St. Louis, suggested the following supplies for three people headed west on the Oregon Trail:
Food: Flour (1,080 lbs), bacon (600 lbs), coffee (100 lbs), tea (5 lbs), sugar (150 lbs), rice (75 lbs), dried fruit (50 lbs), salt and pepper (50 lbs), saleratus (baking soda) (10 lbs), and lard (50 lbs). Also corn meal, hard-tack, dried beef, molasses, vinegar, eggs, and beans.
Tools and equipment: Plow, shovel, rake, hoe, carpentry tools, saw, mallet, ax, plane, spade, whetstone, axles, kingbolt (joins the body of a wagon to its front axle), ox or mule shoes, spokes, ropes and chains.
Cooking utensils: Oven, skillet, kettle, coffee grinder, teapot, knife, ladle, tin tableware, water keg, and matches.
Seeds: Corn, wheat and other crops.
Weapons: Rifle, shotgun, pistols, knife, hatchet, powder, lead, bullet mold, powder horn, bullet pouch, and holster.
Clothing: Wool coats, rubber coats, cotton dresses, buckskin pants, duck trousers, cotton shirts, woolen undershirts, cotton drawers, flannel shirts, cotton socks, boots, shoes, ponchos, felt hats and sunbonnets.
Bedding and tents: Blankets, ground cloths, pillows, tent, poles, stakes, ropes.
Luxuries: Canned goods, plant cuttings, books, musical instruments, dolls and toys, family albums, jewelry, China, silverware, fine linens, iron stoves and furniture.
Miscellaneous items: Surgical instruments, liniments, bandages, camp stool, chamber pot, washbowl, lanterns, candle molds, tallow, spyglasses, scissors, needles, pins, thread, toothbrushes, soap, comb, brush, and towels.
What did you need to try your luck on the Oregon Trail?