Post on 23-Dec-2015
Mountain Men
First people to go west.
Trappers & hunters looking for beaver.
Lived off the land like natives, often married native women.
The Oregon Trail
People lured to Oregon by good climate & fertile land
Took 6 months on foot, with cargo carried by wagons.
Santa Fe Trail
Used mainly to trade for horses & silver with Mexican traders
Dangerous due to deadly deserts, but profits could be enormous
Mormon Trail
Mormons are a religious group founded by Joseph Smith
Membership grew rapidly and so did persecution and they moved several times before leaving for the Great Salt Lake.
Led to Utah by Brigham Young after their founder was killed.