Name: _________________________________________ U.S. History Period: ________ Date: _______________
OREGON TRAIL WEBQUEST
Access the following website (It is linked on my Webpage under “OREGON TRAIL” WEBQUEST). Complete the tasks
below to the best of your ability… http://www.oregontrailcenter.org/HistoricalTrails/OregonCaliforniaTrails.htm
A. Read the introduction (“Oregon / California Trails”).
1.
About how long was the Oregon Trail?
2.
About how many Americans used the Trail between 1841 and 1900?
3.
Approximately how long did the trek take?
4.
It is said that 1 in 10 perished along the journey. What were the reasons why?
B. Click on and read the section “The Trek West.”
C.
5.
How did travelers pay for the journey?
6.
What happened in California in the 1840s that caused an increase in travelers west?
Click on “The Starting Point”
7.
List several of the difficulties of travel:
8.
Where did the Trail begin?
D. Click on “The Wagon”
9.
Summarize the characteristics of a pioneer’s wagon (what was it made of, size, how many could fit, weight of supplies,
animal to pull it, comfort, etc.):
E.
Click on “Mules, Horses, or Oxen”
10. Which of these animals were most commonly used? Why?
11. How many were needed to pull a wagon?
12. What did a team of oxen typically cost?
F.
Click on “Supplies”
13. List the food (and amount) that a family of 4 would have to pack to make the journey:
14. What types of tools would be necessary?
G. Click on “A Day on the Trail”
15. What time did travelers typically wake up every day?
16. What time did they typically start out each day?
17. How far did they get daily?
18. What time did they typically stop each day?
H. Click on “Dangers”
19. What was the most dangerous thing about traveling across the continent? Describe why it was so dangerous.
20. What was the most frequent form of injury / death?
21. List several other dangers:
22. List several diseases that were common along the trail:
I.
Click on “Indians”
23. Were Native Americans mostly hostile or tolerant of the pioneers?
-
What evidence supports this?
24. Historical studies indicate that between 1840 – 1860 that Native Americans killed _________ emigrants, but emigrants
killed _________ Native Americans.
25. List several tribes that existed along the trail:
Writing assignment - 10 points:
Lastly, pretend that you are a person traveling on the Oregon Trail. As you have just learned, the journey was full of
hardship and danger. Write a paragraph describing an event you may have encountered. Include the following in your
paragraph:
Your name, town you are from, # of people in your family, when you left St. Louis, when you arrived in Oregon,
the event or incident that you and your family encountered, where along the trail it occurred, and how you
overcame it.
I have included some additional sites to check out for more info. You can also use the space below to take notes and /or
write a rough draft.


You may neatly hand write in ink (on a separate sheet of paper) or type your final version.
The final copy is due 2 days from today.
http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Oregontrail.html
http://www.octa-trails.org/learn/people_places/articles_early_emigrants.php
http://www.over-land.com/diaries.html
http://www.thefurtrapper.com/oregon_trail.htm
http://www.suite101.com/content/difficulties-of-the-oregon-trail-a124930
http://www.oregongenealogy.com/union/halsey.htm
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________