Relatives That Went West and Were Never Heard From Again
Equally a new country, the Us boasted freedom and opportunity, especially in the West, where at that place were vast expanses of land and, afterwards, rumors of gold. Many pioneers moved west hoping to own state and start fresh. Read a pioneer history below and cheque out our W expansion timeline.
Westward Expansion
Early pioneers extended American settlements to the Mississippi Valley. Later pioneers settled the Great Plains and the Westward Coast. The Oregon Trail was one of the near traveled trails heading west. What was the Oregon Trail? Information technology started in Independence, Missouri, and passed through present-24-hour interval Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. Approximately 500,000 people made the journey on foot, in covered railroad vehicle trains, or on horseback on the Oregon Trail and ii other famous trails: the California Trail and the Mormon Trail.
Along their way due west, American pioneers passed famous landmarks and forts, including Chimney Stone, Fort Laramie, Independence Rock, and Fort Bridger. Traces of the paths they took can nonetheless be seen today, with bike tracks and names carved into stone.
West Expansion Timeline
Major political and social events inspired many people to make the motility westward. Rumors of rich farming lands in Oregon, gold in California, and refuge across the state convinced many to take the risks of pioneer travel and pursue a meliorate life. Even so, rumors weren't the only force at work. Some major events helped accelerate the movement.
The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 was ane of the first events that encouraged people to move west. In this purchase, the United states of america acquired the Louisiana Territory and opened 828,000 square miles of land for settlers. It cost the government over $fifteen million (the equivalent of over $570 billion1 in today'due south marketplace).
Later, the discovery of gold in California in 1848 inspired hundreds of thousands to move west and mine the lands, despite the efforts of discoverers James Wilson Marshall and John Sutter to proceed information technology tranquility. By the terminate of the California Aureate Rush, miners extracted a full of 750,000 pounds of gilded, worth roughly $ii billion.2
Other events, such as the Homestead Human action of 1862—which offered settlers the opportunity to homestead 160 acres of free land, the migration of Mormon pioneers seeking refuge, and the determination of the Mexican regime to allow United States citizens to settle the Texas territory were all forces behind the expansion of the American Westward.
Were your ancestors among the farmers seeking land, miners hunting for gold, or religious people seeking refuge?
Other Sides of the Story
Life for the American pioneers was not always easy. Most left family and friends behind with the possibility of never seeing them once again. Along the way, many pioneers faced very existent dangers such as disease, drowning, runaway covered wagons on steep hillsides, accidental belch of weapons, and hostile encounters.
For many Native Americans, the western expansion meant risks and changes to their fashion of life. Some peaceful encounters occurred between pioneers and Native Americans, such equally Native Americans teaching pioneers how to handle bears or the two groups cohabitating. Still, many tribes were displaced, or experienced loss due to disharmonize or diseases as a consequence of the western expansion.
Where Practise Your Ancestors Fit Into All This?
By the finish of the 1800s, hundreds of thousands of people made the journey. If your ancestors lived in the United States, chances are at least one of them was a pioneer. With and so many fascinating stories surrounding the American pioneers and their journeys west, your ancestors' stories might exist among them. Search FamilySearch records to learn more:
Already have a FamilySearch family tree? Discover your pioneer ancestors.
In that location are many other helpful pioneer collections available. These wiki pages can signal you to significant pioneer record collections (though non all of them are freely available):
- Oregon Trail Settlers and Records
- California Trail Settlers and Records
- Mormon Trail Settlers and Records
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase
- https://world wide web.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_pioneer
- https://www.history.com/this-twenty-four hours-in-history/a-thousand-pioneers-caput-westward-on-the-oregon-trail
- http://www.jrank.org/encyclopedia/pages/cm7kxkdlo9/Pioneer-life-in-America.html
- http://www.factsfornow.scholastic.com/article?product_id=nbk&type=0ta&uid=10676833&id=a2023250-h
Source: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/pioneer-history-westward-expansion-timeline