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What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer
the Following Questions: During the 1840's and 1850's, both the United States and England wanted to control the Oregon Territory. The two countries decided the country having more people living in this area would control this area. So Americans began moving west to the Oregon Territory. In 1859, Oregon was admitted to the United States. The only way to make the move from the east to the Oregon Territory was to ride on horseback or travel in a covered wagon. Many families who moved west traveled in groups of covered wagons, called a wagon train. All types of people moved to the Oregon Territory. Farmers moved to find new land. Storekeepers set up new shops. Carpenters, bakers, blacksmiths, missionaries, shoemakers, artists, lawyers, doctors, and teachers also moved west to start a new life. 2. True or False: A
covered wagon's front wheels are smaller than its back wheels. A covered wagon was a wagon with a white canvas cloth covering its top. The top was stretched over big wooden hoops to give the wagon a round shape. The canvas top was rubbed with oil to make it waterproof. The canvas could be closed at both ends with drawstrings to keep out the rain or wind, or it could be rolled up to get a breeze. There was a wooden board in the front of the wagon where people sat. There were hooks inside the wagon to hang milk cans, guns, bonnets, spoons, dolls, jackets, and other items. There was also a hook between the back wheels to carry a bucket of grease used on the wheels for a smoother turn. Did you know covered wagons were called prairie schooners? A schooner is a boat, and the big white canvas cover over the wagon looked liked a sail. When the prairie grass was very tall, the covered wagons looked like a big boat sailing across the grassy plains. Did you know a group of wagons traveling together was called a wagon train? The covered wagons traveled single file. Together, the wagons looked like a train moving across the prairie. At night, the wagon train formed a big circle, and the children played inside the circle. The pioneers elected a leader at the beginning of their trip. The leader was in charge of deciding when to stop at the end of the day, and the leader would wake people up in the morning by blowing a horn or whistle. The leader also rode ahead to scout out the trail. During the trip, there was a council of six to ten people who would meet with the leader to discuss any problems of the wagon train. Trail guides were very helpful to the wagons trains. They were usually former fur trappers or traders out West who had previously made the trip. Trail guides knew where to cross the river, how far the wagon trains had traveled, and how much more there was to go. This special knowledge was helpful to the pioneers who had not previously made the trip. Some trail guides traveled with the wagon trains, and others wrote books which the wagon trains referred to along the trip. Did you know Dr. Marcus Whitman was one of the most famous trail guides? In 1843, he guided the first big wagon train consisting of 120 wagons to Oregon. Families packed their wagons with only the items necessary for the five or six month journey. They carried food: flour, yeast, crackers, cornmeal, bacon, eggs, dried meat, dried fruit, potatoes, rice, beans, and water. They might bring a cow for fresh milk and meat. Along the trail, the wagon train would hunt meat and collect berries, honey, and vegetables. They brought items to repair clothes: cloth, needles, thread, pins, scissors, and leather. They packed tools: saws, hammers, axes, nails, string, and knives. They carried items to complete daily chores: soap, wax for making candles, lanterns, and washbowls. They also brought tents, medicines, plates, knives, forks, spoons, cups, pots, and pans. 3. Describe how ONE
of the following affected the wagon train's trip: 4. Name ONE of the Native
American tribes on the Plains. For most of the trip, pioneers traveled through areas where Native Americans lived. Some Native Americans were friendly and traded with the pioneers. Pioneers wanted moccasins because they were soft and strong shoes. The Native Americans usually wanted cloth, red paint, glass beads, and metal fishing hooks. Some Native Americans were not friendly and tried to steal cattle and horses. >>Read about the
Sioux. 5. Did the children
attend formal schools while on the wagon train? Many people thought the entire trip was one big lesson because the children were always learning about new flowers and animals, learning how to fix broken items, learning how to cook outdoors, and learning how to properly tie up the animals. Children had many chores to perform along the trip. They milked cows, fetched water from the rivers, watched the cattle when they walked behind the wagons, helped cook, washed dishes, gathered wood or buffalo chips for the fire, shook out the blankets, hung the beef jerky to dry, and helped skin and prepare the buffalo, deer, or wild turkey. The children learned many helpful tricks along the trail. They learned an easy way to make butter. They simply hung a milk can from the wagon. As the wagon bounced around, the milk also bounced around. Within a few hours, there were balls of butter in the can -- the butter had made itself! The children also learned to protect an ox's sore feet by placing a piece of animal skin around the ox's feet. After two days of wearing these "moccasins," the ox's feet felt better. 6. How was news sent
to pioneers on the wagon train? As you probably could guess, there were no post offices west of the Mississippi River so sending and receiving letters was difficult and slow. Sometimes it took up to two years for a letter to make it out West. People could send a letter to a fort along the trail. It would be delivered by a supply wagon traveling west. The supply wagon would leave the letter at the fort, and the pioneer would pick it up. The pioneer could also leave a letter for another supply wagon to carry to the East. Did you know there were no envelopes for letters in the 1840's? Instead the letter was folded and melted wax was dripped on the edge. When the wax cooled and hardened, the letter could only be opened by breaking the wax. In the 1840's, people also got news by reading newspapers and magazines. These publications were printed in the East and mailed out West. Did you know this process could sometimes take years to complete? 7. Name ONE of the landmarks
along the Oregon Trail.
What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the
following words: Wagon Train: Group of covered wagons traveling together on the long trip west Trail Guide: A person who previously made the trip west who was hired to guide a wagon train Pioneers: First group of travelers who moved to the new land and made a new home Scows: Large flat boats used to take the wagons across the Missouri River Continental Divide: Imaginary line along the top of the Rocky Mountains from north to south marking the line where the rivers in the United States flow in opposite directions. Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the
Following Questions for Your FREE
Bookmark): The crossing of the Missouri River was the first obstacle a covered wagon would face. The pioneers used scows (large flat boats) to take the wagons across the river. There were several forts along the trail where the pioneers could re-supply, stay for a few days, and allow their oxen, horses, and cows to rest. The first big fort west of Independence, Missouri, was Fort Laramie. It took about 40 days to reach, and most wagons got there at the end of June. At Fort Laramie, pioneers could fix the wagons and do laundry. They could also trade for new supplies or buy supplies they had run out of, including sugar, flour, coffee, cloth, and leather. About thirty days after leaving Fort Laramie, the wagon trains would arrive at Fort Bridger. It was named for Jim Bridger, an early fur trader and trapper. The next fort was Fort Hall. From this fort, Pioneers had the choice of traveling north and west to Oregon, or traveling south and west to California. In either case, they still had two more months of traveling to complete. If the pioneers chose to continue to Oregon, they would next come to Fort Boise. During the trip, the wagon trains had to cross the steep and rugged Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide marks the imaginary line where the rivers of North America flow in opposite directions. The rivers on the west side of the Continental Divide flow west toward the Pacific Ocean. The rivers on the east side of the Continental Divide flow east toward the Atlantic Ocean. The wagon trains crossed the Continental Divide at South Pass. b. Describe a typical
day on a wagon train trip. Wagon trains traveled single file over the plains, across the rivers, and up the steep Rocky Mountains. Sometimes the pioneers would ride in the wagon, and sometimes they would walk next to it. It was a very bumpy ride, especially if it was the first wagon to travel over a piece of ground because no ruts were made by other wagon wheels. A wagon train might travel ten to fifteen miles on a good day. However, if it was muddy or raining, it was possible the wagon train would only cover one mile in the whole day. If a baby was born along the trip, the wagon train stopped for one or two days. During the day, pioneers might see wild animals, including buffalo, prairie dogs, rattle snakes, owls, wolves, coyotes, jackrabbits, wild turkey, sage hens, lizards, and antelope. The leader decided when it was time to stop for the night. The wagon train formed a big circle with the front of one wagon facing the back of another wagon. The leader and six to ten other people gathered to discuss the trip and any problems that arose during the day. At night, pioneers might play a harmonica or fiddle, sing songs, and dance. Or they might tell stories while sitting around the camp fire. On the 4th of July, the pioneers would celebrate Independence Day. The pioneers had many options for where to sleep. They might sleep in the wagon, under the wagon, in a tent outside the wagon, or sometimes out in the open under the stars. Babies and children usually slept in the wagon. c. Describe the clothes
of a typical person in a wagon train. Boys wore cotton or buckskin shirts and pants. Girls wore cotton skirts or dresses. Shoes were very important for everyone because they did so much walking. Also, everyone wore a hat or a bonnet to shade themselves from the bright, hot sun. Boys wore hats with a wide brim, and girls wore bonnets. d. Use five of the words
in Section 2 in a sentence.
e. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2. More Valuable Information about Traveling
West in a Covered Wagon:
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U.S. History In Depth: U.S. History Main Page American Revolution in Depth | Traveling West in a Covered Wagon in Depth American Civil War in Depth | Civil Rights Movement in Depth Reading Program: Main Page | List of Subjects American Symbols | Native Americans | American Biographies | African-American History | Women in History | U.S. History | The American West | U.S. Government | Explorers | American Trails | U.S. Holidays | Patriots | National Parks
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If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon (If You)
Mud:
When it rained, the ground turned muddy and everything sank. Eventually,
the sun would dry the mud; however, sometimes the wagon wheels
would still be stuck. To release the wagon wheels, the pioneers
placed long grasses on the ground in front of the wheels. The
oxen pulled from the front, and the pioneers pushed from the back.
The wheels would turn onto the grass and be released from the
mud.
