Kicking off on the Oregon Trail

What hardships and challenges did real life pioneers face on the Oregon trail?

The Oregon Trail is a 2,170-mile East-West large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail. The trail was developed by fur traders and trappers from 1811-1840, later being cleared of obstacles adequately to allow wagon traffic. The Trail eventually reached to the Willamette Valley, in Oregon. About 400,000 settlers, farmers, miners, ranchers and business owners used the Oregon Trail, traveling for 6 months to a year, across rugged terrain to reach their destination. Part of the Trail was also used by travelers intending to reach areas other than Oregon. Emigrants carried with them supplies for the journey, including staples such as water, flour, sugar, salt and coffee, and salted meat such as bacon, as well as rifles and ammunition to hunt for game along the route. They traveled in covered wagons which offered shelter from the weather, yet were light enough for a team of oxen to pull. Emigrants faced many dangers on the Trail, including dysentery, cholera and other diseases, as well as accidents and drownings. The completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 made the trip west faster, cheaper and safer, and use of the Oregon Trail declined. (Wikipedia and History https://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/oregon-trail ).

Manifest Destiny was the 19th century belief that Americans were destined to expand across North America.

2018.018.010 This yoke was used to drive the team of oxen that brought William Sunderlin and his family to Iowa in 1856. This bow yoke is carved from a solid piece of wood and is quite heavy. The yoke sat on top of the animals' shoulders and the bentwood bows slid around the neck from the bottom and were secured with the ends poking out the top of the yoke, as is shown in the carved model. The iron ring at the center bottom of the yoke attached to a pole or chain from the wagon or plow. In this way, the oxen could push against the yoke with all their strength. The name of the donor's father, B. H. Jackson, is painted on the yoke.

Manifest Destiny and how it shaped the United States in the mid 1900’s century. 

• SS.3.27: History (Immigration and Migration)

Students will be able to demonstrate what compelled people to move to new places and how the culture of the United States was changed by the different immigrant groups moving westward.
;Students will complete this task by creating a shopping list of items that early settler might have brought on the Oregon Trail without going over the amount of 400 dollars with 100% accuracy.
;Students will complete be able to correctly add multi-digit numbers in the dollar form by adding up the supplies on their shopping list with 100% accuracy. The students must not go over the amount given to achieve this.