Spanning 2,000 miles and traversing six states from Missouri to the Pacific Ocean, the Oregon Trail is the route that made America. In the fifteen years before the Civil War, when 400,000 pioneers used it to emigrate West, the trail united the coasts, doubled the size of the country, and laid the groundwork for the railroads. The trail years also solidified the American character: our plucky determination in the face of adversity, our impetuous cycle...

"From the bestselling author of Prayers for Sale, an inspiring celebration of sisterhood on the perilous Overland Trail "If you are an adventuresome young woman of high moral character and fine health, are you willing to travel to California in search of a good husband?" It's February, 1852, and all around Chicago, Maggie sees the postings soliciting "eligible women" to travel to the gold mines of Goosetown. A young seamstress with a small daughter...

An account of the 1846 Donner-Reed expedition reveals the true events surrounding the tragedy, profiling the adventurous characters who shaped the group and how various interpersonal factors led to their harrowing experiences. "In the eerily warm spring of 1846, George Donner placed this advertisement in a local newspaper as he and a restless caravan prepared for what they hoped would be the most rewarding journey of a lifetime. But in eagerly pursuing...

"In powerful, vivid verse, the master behind The Watch That Ends the Night recounts one of history's most harrowing--and chilling--tales of survival. In 1846, a group of emigrants bound for California face a choice: continue on their planned route or take a shortcut into the wilderness. Eighty-nine of them opt for the untested trail, a decision that plunges them into danger and desperation and, finally, the unthinkable. From extraordinary poet and...

Presents the life of a California ex-slave, nurse, and midwife, who started many philanthropic projects.

Describes the causes, methods, people, and effects of the expansion of the original thirteen colonies to the West.

"Based on real letters and memoirs, 'My Way West' presents true historical stories and experiences from kids on the Oregon and California Trails in the mid to late 1800s"--

"In th mid-1800s, the dream of Manifest Destiny and the hope of a better life inspired thousands of Americans to cast their sights westward. 'Wagons Trains and Settlers' travels alongside these pioneers as they cross the vast plains, deserts, and mountains of North America. Explore the routes the settlers took, experience daily life in a wagon train, and discover the dangers that families faced on the trails."--P. [4] of cover.

An introductory history of the Oregon Trail and its significance in opening the west to settlers, including information on the people who opened the Trail, their reasons for going west, modes of transportation, and a description of a typical day on the Trail.

Discusses the westward migration of settlers along the Oregon Trail and describes the equipment and supplies necessary for the journey, what a typical day on the trail was like, the dangers the travelers faced, and the hope which helped them reach Oregon Country.