Westward Ho!

1
Westward Ho!

• Trails to the West

2
Push /Pull Factors

• Why would people in the eastern United States
  want to move west during the mid-1800s?
• What factors were PUSHING and PULLING?
• PUSH FACTORS Circumstances or challenges that
  cause people to want to pull up stakes and move
  to a new place.
• PULL FACTORS Circumstances or advantages that
  draw people to a new place

3
Push Factors

• Panic of 1837
• Harsh winters
• Restless/Curious
• Looking for Wealth

4
Pull Factors

• Fur Trade
• Rich Resources timber, game, gold
• Land
• Mild Climate
• Adventure

5
Challenges Along the Way

• Shortages of food, water, supplies
• Rough Weather
• Disease / Illness
• Geographic Barriers
• Environmental Dangers
• Weight in the wagons

6
Fur Trappers

• High demand for fur in Europe caused companies to
  move West in search of more beavers.
• John Jacob Astor created one of the largest fur
  businesses American Fur Company
• Fur Traders and Trappers became known as
  Mountain Men. Jedediah Smith, Manuel Lisa,
  Jim Bridger, Jim Beckwourth
• Rocky Mountain Rendezvous once a year
  gathering of trappers and traders.
• Fur trade came to an end by the 1840s mountain
  men stories lured many new settlers.

7
Oregon Trail

• 2, 000 mile long trail from Independence, MO or
  Council Bluffs, IA west into Oregon Country
• After the Rocky Mountains it forked. Northern
  branch went to Willamette Valley in Oregon. The
  other branch went to California and became the
  California Trail.

8
Santa Fe Trail

• Independence, MO to Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Followed ancient trading route used by Native
  Americans
• American traders loaded wagons full of cloth and
  other manufactured goods and traded for horses,
  mules, and SILVER! They made lots of money!

9
Mormon Trail

• 1830 Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus
  Christ of Latter Day Saints known as Mormons
• Some of their beliefs and practices caused the
  Mormons to be persecuted.
• Polygamy (outlawed by the church in 1890)
• The Book of Mormon written from golden tablets
• Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844
• Brigham Young took over and chose Utah as the
  groups new home.