"...and beholding in a moment such an

extensive scenery open before us, we could not refrain from a shout of

joy which almost involuntarily escaped

from our lips the moment this grand and

lovely scenery was within our view."

-ORSON PRATT, July 21, 1847

(primary source)Right: Manifest destiny was used to describe westward expansion. By:Andrew Capshaw

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Topic:Title Page

Table of Contents

Introduction

Economic Trails

Santa Fe Trail

Oregon Trail

California Trail

Moving West

Oregon Territory

Troubles on the Prairie

The Mormons

Beliefs Cause Violence

The Great Migration: Part 1, Journey

The Great Migration: Part 2, Hardships

The Great Migration: Part 3, Handcarts

Settlement of “The Great Salt Lake

The Pony Express

The East and West Communication

Requirements

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Topic:Buffalos and Ponies

Butler and Bronco

Martha Jane

Successes

Failures

The Express Slows Down

Conclusion

Bibliography I

Bibliography II

Right: Wagon trains traveled West in hopes of a better future.

The West held an important future for the United States, a still growing, independent nation that was facing the industrial revolution and the threat of a civil war to come. Communication, and transportation to the West quickly became problems that needed to be overcome in order for the United States to succeed.

Left: Transversing the mountains of the West was an ongoing problem throughout its settlement.

The mountain men and markets of Mexico both economically, and logistically helped settlers moving west.

Mountain men:

•Found he fastest ways through the Mountains

•Enabled the Oregon Trail

•Found water sources

•Created the “North” path West

Mexican Markets:

•Created the Santa Fe Trail

•A place where a trader could make a fortune.

• Created “South” path West

Above: A mountain man hunting the West.

When the Mexicans declared independence from Spain in 1821, they opened their borders to American traders.American merchants, seizing these opportunities, drove South a path that would become the economically induced Santa Fe trail.

This trail was mainly used for:

•Settlement of the Southwest

•Trading with Mexico•Missionaries crossing to the West to convert Native AmericansAbove : Merchants roamed the South West,

making their fortune.

The Oregon trail was the six-month land route to the West; the more preferable one to the one-year sea route south, around the South American continent. It was the fastest path through the mountains of the East and West, as discovered by the

mountain men.

Above: The West was a large area of unorganized land, most of which was free of settlement.

The California trail was an offspring of the more widely known Oregon trail. It was chosen for its short length, water, and grass for livestock.

It brought:

•Gold-seekers to California

•Farmers to the West

The trail crossed:MissouriKansas

NebraskaColoradoWyoming

IdahoUtah

NevadaOregon

The trail ended in:

California

Left: The Oregon Trail split with the California at Fort Hall.

Moving West quickly became the topic of conversations across the East coast. The East was growing crowded (in farming terms) and the rich land in the Oregon territory tempted many.

Reasons to go West included:

•Rich land

•Gold, and the gold rush

•Religious freedom/peace

•Free land

•FursAbove: The endless plains of free land enticed many to make the rough journey West.

The Oregon territory was an area of land in the Northwest which was highly debated on between the U.S. and Britain.

Both wanted its land for the economy it produced. For the British, the fur drew them in. For the Americans, the free, and the perpetual amount of land for farming enticed them.

Left: The Oregon territory as it appeared in 1848.

Many settlers moved to this area, even while the two governments argued over the claims. Eventually, the U.S. won.

The prairie was a vicious place to live and travel through. Diseases and malnutrition were among many of the settler’s problems.

Other problems included:

•Buffalo stampedes

•Chorea (a disease)

•Thunderstorms/deadly hail

•Exhaustion

•“Accidental” Gunshots

•Some Native American tribes

Above: Native Americans were not the only living troubles to the settlers. Buffalo stampedes killed many settlers.

Above: Brigham Young, the man who led the Mormons West.

"In advance of us, at a great distance can be seen the outlines of mountains, loftier than any we have

yet seen...their summits...covered

with snow."  

-Horace Whitney, June 23, 1847

(primary Source)

The Mormons migrated West in hopes for a better and more peaceful life. It was a very difficult trip for all.

(Primary Source)

The Mormons belief in polygamy (The marriage of one man to multiple women) caused many of their neighbors in the East to turn violent against them. The non-Mormons believed that polygamy was

immoral, so they attacked the Mormons, which often ended

in the death of one or more people.

Right: Before leaving, the Mormons built the Nauvoo temple to bless them on their way and create peace.

The non-Mormons wondered “Why would they build a temple just to leave it behind?”, so the violence continued.

Violence against the Mormons continued, and Joseph Smith, a Mormon leader, was killed. Brigham Young, another leader, decided that moving the Mormons west would be best for their community.

The trek started on:

February 4, 1846

Above: Joseph Smith was killed in some of the very violence which decided the Mormon’s trip West.

To cross the 2000 mile stretch of the United States, the Mormons had to be dedicated.

Some of the hardships they faced were:

•Extreme temperatures

•Bad Water

•Starvation

•Sickness

•Livestock death

•Death

Above: 1 in 10 people died along the trails west. Many people were unprepared for what they faced.

When the Mormons began their trip, many carried all that belonged to them. Once they crossed the Mississippi, many ditched all but the necessary to survive.

Handcart info:

•Carried up to 500 pounds

•Pulled by hand

•Carried all possessions

Above: Many Mormons men walked the 2000 mile trip with no shoes while pulling a 500 pound handcart .

As soon as the Mormons migrated West, they needed to set up a new way of life in order for them to survive the harsh conditions due mostly in part to being so disconnected from the whole of society. They built:

•Dams (to water crops)

•Canals (to water crops)

•Houses

•Farm equipment

•A church and othercommunity buildings

Above: The Mormons created a settlement near “The Great Salt Lake”, which later became Salt Lake City, Utah.

Left:

Above: Both the riders and the station keepers, worked under constant danger during their employment at the Pony Express.

“Wanted. Young, skinny, wiry fellows

Not over 18. Must be expert riders,

willing to risk death daily. Orphans

preferred.”

-Advertisement

With the expansion east (due in part mostly to the Louisiana Purchase) and the threat of the upcoming civil war, the United States needed a way to communicate with the most rural and isolated towns in the West. The East was connected

Right: Riders would ride 75 – 100 miles nonstop through all weather and seasons. (At night and day)

by a series of telegraph systems, while the West was yet to be connected. The government put out a bid to find the quickest mail service West. Thus the Pony Express was born.

(Primary Source)

Left: A poster, displaying the job's qualifications was used to draw young men to the Pony Express.

The requirements to join the Pony Express were:

•Be under 18

•Be unafraid of death

•Be an expert rider

•Be an orphan (preferably)

Ironically, most riders of the Express did not fit any of these conditions. (All could ride, though)

“Buffalo Bill” Cody-

•Famous for supplying the workers of the transcontinental railroad with fresh buffalo meat and keeping them alive. Above: “Buffalo Bill”

Cody

“Pony Bob” Haslam-

•1840-1912

•Famous for his fastest ride:

-8 H 20 M

-380 miles

Carried:

President Lincoln’s inaugural address

(Primary Source)

Above: “Bronco Charlie” Miller

“Bronco Charlie” Miller-

•Youngest member at age 11

•He continued to ride until the Express’s end, even after suffering wounds from hostile Indians.

•Wanted to enlist in WWII, but he was 92.

Martha Jane “Calamity Jane” was a tough woman rider of the pony express. She had great marksmen skills, and survived attack from hostile Indians. She proved that women could strive and succeed in traditional men’s jobs.

Right: Martha Jane with her rifle

(Primary Source)

The successes of the Pony Express were:

• Communication between East and West was increased greatly.

• Fastest communication route before the telegraph was completed.

• Communication to California at the beginning of the Civil War was possible.

• Found the best route for the transcontinental railroad.

Above: The Pony Express helped the men who built the transcontinental telegraph.

The failures of the Pony Express were:

• Financially- [The company spent $700,000 on the express, and they made only $500,000 before shutting the express down, leaving them with a deficit of $200,000. (They didn’t get the $1,000,000 contract from the government due to political instability, the completion of the telegraph/transcontinental railroad and the start of the Civil War.)]

Above: The transcontinental telegraph led to the Express’s downfall.

The transcontinental railroad and telegraph both were the main factors that brought down the Pony Express. Ironically, the Pony Express helped establish both of its successors.

Right: The East and West railroad companies meet and the railroad is complete.

The transcontinental railroad allowed packages to be shipped faster.

The transcontinental telegraph allowed messages to be sent faster.

(Primary Source)

The Western Trails and the Pony Express both led toward the United State’s goal of “Manifest Destiny”. The Pony Express led the way in communication, as did the Trails West (such as

the Mormon Trail) in transportation and settlement. Later, the development of the transcontinental railroad and telegraph led towards their demise, but these two great strives were metaphors of the future of the United States of America.

Above: Once the railroad and telegraph were complete, the pony express was over.

General:•Creating America, McDougal Little•http://www.nps.gov/cali/•www.isu.edu/%etrinmic/allabout.htm•www.xphomestation.com/rhalam.html•http://www.angelfire.com/ks2/butterbean72454/History.html•http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/cana-mar.htm•http://www.accelerationwatch.com/images/railroad.jpg •http://www.accd.edu/pac/history/hist1302/WestwardAngel.jpg•http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/CAW/1660.jpg•http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Wpdms_oregon_territory_1848.png•http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/outpost/farmers/images/farm.jpg•http://class.et.byu.edu/it431/labs/byoung_low.png•http://www.neiu.edu/~ejhowens/377/examples/westward.jpg •http://www.lds.org/temples/main/photo/0,11505,2020-1-160-,00.html•http://heritage.uen.org/images/Thorpe81.jpg•http://www.theideadoor.com/Kayla's%20Primary%20Stuff/Music/Joseph5.jpg•http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t054/T054857A.jpg

The Trails:•http://www.brebru.com/musicroom/cowboys/wagons/wagontrain.jpg•http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~sfenty/Myth_Project/myth.htm•http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wpdms_california_trail.png•http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/histhome.html•http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/aencmed/targets/maps/mhi/T014255A.gif •http://www.over-land.com/overlandtrail.html•http://www.arnold-friberg.com/images/the_long_trail_west.jpg

Above: A wagon train traveling west to find a better future.

•http://parentfrost.netfirms.com/Map%20Folder/Mormon%20Dead%20along%20Pioneer%20Trail.jpg •The Mormons, Jean Kinney Williams•http://www.americanwest.com/trails/pages/mormtri.htm•http://www.scenicutah.com/great-salt-lake/great-salt-lake0114.php •http://www.westernunion.gr/netemtts/images/history/hphoto6.gif

The Pony Express:•http://En.wiipedia.org/wiki/pony_express•www.americanwest.com/pages/buffbill.htm•http://users.crocker.com/~broncho/brtribute.html•http://www.cowgirls.com/dream/cowgals/calamity.htm•httpwww.americanwest.com/trails/pages/ponyexp.htm•://www.ponyexpress.org/history.htm•http://www.schoolhousevideo.org/Media/Pony%20ExpressAdvert.jpg•http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/images/gallery/images/Prints/Mccarthy/1991ponyexpres2.jpg•http://www.grandfathersspirit.com/cards/125BuffaloBill.html •http://www.cowgirlcattlecompany.com/images/calamity-jane.jpg •http://users.crocker.com/~broncho/brtribute.html•http://alphabetilately.com/Lisfor/local-ponyexp-cover2.JPG•http://www.schoolhousevideo.org/Media/express1.jpg

Right: Mail carried by the Pony Express cost $5.00 for a ½ ounce, which later became $1.00. (Primary Source)