Westward Ho!
When God made man,
He seemed to think it best
To make him in the East
And let him travel west.
~Anonymous Pioneer
Manifest Destiny
“Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.”
Manifest— Known/Apparent
Destiny— Ordained by God
Reasons for Going West
- Missionary Work
o Marcus and Narcissa Whitman were missionaries to the Cayuse Indians in Oregon
o Henry and Eliza Spalding were missionaries to the Nez Perce Indians in Idaho
- Fur Trade
o Was practiced mainly by the French
o Popular pelts were beaver, mink, otter, deer.
o Beaver was the most valuable fur as it was used to make felt hats which were popular in Europe
o Fur trappers were known as “Mountain Men”
o Famous Mountain Men were: Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson, and John Colter.
o Fur trade dropped by the late 1700's and mid-1800s. By 1870, most fur trade had ended.
§ Over-trapping
§ Large settlements were clearing the land.
§ Fashions in Europe changed from felt hats to silk.
- Settling (Pioneers)
§ Oregon Trail
o Estimated that over 400,000 emigrants used this trail
o About 2,000 miles long, from Missouri to Oregon
o Would take about 4 - 6 months
o Pioneers would travel about 15 miles per day
§ Santa Fe Trail (a more commercial route)
§ Mormon Trail
o Early emigration began around 1839 with the Peoria Party
o Great Migration of 1843
§ A group of about 700-1,000 pioneers set out for Oregon
§ Were first led by John Gantt
§ Later, Marcus Whitman (the Missionary ) led them across the mountains and established the final leg of the Oregon Trail
- Religion
o Mass Mormon migration began in 1847 led by Brigham Young
o The Mormon Trail is an offshoot of the Oregon Trail
o Mormons credit seagulls and Divine Intervention with having saved the first harvest.
- Gold!
o Eureka! God first discovered on January 24, 1848 by James W. Marshall (carpenter) at Sutter’s Mill, California.
o He discovered a 3 oz. piece of gold which equaled 2 month’s pay
o Brought about 300,000 people to California. About half came by overland trails and half came by sea