Migration & Early settlement 1 Flashcards
What was the Oregon Trail?
2000 mile journey for pioneers & their wagons to use to emigrate West
Who was the Oregon Trail created by? When?
1836 - Jed Smith
What was a push factor for emigrating West? What happened?
1837 economic depression - banks collapsed & savings lost
How did the economic depression lead to people emigrating West?
WSs wanted to start afresh & leave financial problems behind
What was a pull factor for emigrating West? What happened?
1842 - Pre-emption Act
allowed settlers to claim 160 acres = $1.25 an acre
How did the Pre-emption Act lead to people emigrating West?
settlers can cheaply plots of land = appealing
Who were the first people to use the Oregon Trail?
mountain men
How are mountain men an enabling factor for settlers emigrating West?
attracted to discovery of South Path mean that they could guide pioneers to Pacific Regions
How long did the migration West take?
8-9 months
What is a wagon train?
Chain of 20 wagons as a form of protection against attack from PIs
What conditions did pioneers face journeying West? Give 3 conditions.
water shortages
sandstorms
buffalo stampedes
How many people died on the journey West between 1840-1860?
34,000
What were 2 causes of death for people migrating West?
chlolera from rivers
crushed by wagons
Who led the Donner party?
Jacob & George Donner
Who were Jacob & George orignally leading?
group of 300 people with 60 wagons migrating West
What happened to the Donner party?
Conflict between members -> 80 decided to take short cut
Where were the Donner party headed?
California
When did the Donner party leave? What time do pioneers normally leave?
May 1846 - normally early April
Why did the Donner party face problems?
80 people took a more dangerous & treacherous short cut = resorted to cannibalism as got stranded in the snow
Define mormon.
member of the church of Jesus Christ, founded by Joseph Smith in America in 1830
What did Joseph Smith believe?
angel had uncovered 2 gold plates & helped translate the language which became the Book of Mormon
When was the Book of Mormon discovered?
1827
Why did Joseph Smith’s followers face hostility? When & where did they move?
for their beliefs - 1831 Ohio
Why were Joseph Smith’s followers forced to move from Ohio?
1837 economic depression -> other American’s envied mormon’s finanical security
Why were the Mormon’s forced to move from Missouri?
Mormons were anti-slavery & friendly towards PIs but Missouri was slave state
When did the Mormons leave Missouri?
1838
What happened in Illinois in that meant that the Mormons were forced to go West?
Smith had preached polygamy = acceptable
What did Joseph Smith’s teaching lead to? When was he killed?
arrested & killed 27th June 1845
Who became the new leader of the Mormons after Joseph Smith?
Brigham Young
Where did Brigham Young decided to relocate the Mormons?
Great Salt Lake
Why did the Mormons relocate to Great Salt Lake?
unsafe living amongst non-Mormons & GSL under control of Mexico not US government
What did Young lead at first to ensure a successful migration? Why?
pioneer band - ensure safety of route for wagons & to map it out
Why was sending a pioneer band at first important?
Mormons could be prepared for journey by building fords over rivers, planting crops along way & planned resting places to prevent livestock dying of exhaustion
What did Young’s leadership enable the Mormons to build?
self-sufficient settlement
What was did the Mormons build as part of their settlement?
irrigation ditches - water supply
What and how were resources provided by the settlement?
land, water & timber were all equally allocated to families
What did the US government create to enable protection for the Mormons?
Territory of Utah
What was the Perpetual Emigrating Fund?
set up to loan money to settlers to pay for journey to Utah
How many converts reached Utah in 1855?
4000
