Wagon trains gathered at Independence, Missouri, and followed river valleys west to the Willamette Valley in Oregon. About how long was that whole route?

A family that left Missouri in the spring usually reached Oregon in the fall, so the trip along the Oregon Trail took about four to six months.

A pioneer family loaded a covered wagon with flour, tools, and bedding for a journey of many months. What animal most often pulled these wagons the whole way west?

Travelers watched for tall rock formations such as Chimney Rock and Independence Rock as they crossed the plains. How did these landmarks help a wagon train?

A trail journal describes a family fording a wide, fast-moving river with a loaded wagon. Why were river crossings one of the most dangerous parts of the trip?

Diaries and trailside graves tell historians what killed the most travelers on the Oregon Trail. What was the leading cause of death on the trail?

In 1845 a father wrote home that his family had traveled the whole trail to settle in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Which pull factor drew families like his to that valley?

A wagon was packed with flour, bacon, tools, and bedding, leaving little room inside for people. How did most family members travel for most of the journey?

Trail diaries record wagon trains buying dried meat, corn, and horses from Pawnee and Shoshone people, and hiring Indigenous guides to show them safe crossings.

Trees were scarce across much of the Great Plains, so families needed another way to fuel their cooking fires. What did many wagon trains burn instead of wood?

Sacagawea, a Lemhi Shoshone woman, traveled with the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific in the early 1800s. What job did she do for that expedition?

What was the Oregon Trail?

Where did many Oregon Trail travelers begin their journey?

What was a common destination for Oregon Trail travelers?

On a normal travel day with fair weather, about how far could a wagon train usually cover?

In the 1840s, many Americans believed the United States was meant to stretch all the way west to the Pacific Ocean. What was this idea called?

What kind of wagon did many Oregon Trail families use?

Children on the Oregon Trail had daily chores, such as fetching water and gathering buffalo chips for the cooking fire.

Why did most families travel with a group of other wagons instead of heading west alone?

Trail diaries describe many accidents along the way. Which kind of accident was a common cause of injury and death on the Oregon Trail?

Which landmark helped travelers know they were moving west along the trail?

What did travelers often do when they reached a difficult river crossing?

Why was South Pass important on the Oregon Trail?

Travelers on the Oregon Trail crossed lands where many Native American nations already lived.

As wagons grew too heavy for tired oxen, especially climbing into the mountains, what did many families do to lighten the load?

In parts of present-day Wyoming, ponds along the trail were poisoned with minerals that could sicken or kill oxen that drank from them. What was this dangerous water called?

What was a wagon train?

Why did pioneers usually try to leave Missouri in the spring?

Which supply would have been useful on the Oregon Trail?

Pioneers on the Oregon Trail could buy fresh food and supplies at stores in towns every few days along the way.

Which tool would help pioneers repair wagons during the trip?

What was one reason forts were important along the Oregon Trail?

Fort Laramie was one well-known stop on the Oregon Trail.

Across Nebraska, the Oregon Trail crossed a wide, flat region of grassland with very few trees. What is this region called?

What problem could a broken wagon wheel cause?

Which river was an important part of the route near the end of the Oregon Trail?

The Oregon Trail continued to be just as heavily used after the first transcontinental railroad opened in 1869.

What did pioneers often do in the evenings after a day of travel?

Many pioneers, especially women, kept daily journals during the trip west. Why are these journals useful to historians today?

Which sentence is the best summary of the Oregon Trail?