Migration & Early settlement 1

Question 1

What was the Oregon Trail?

Answer 1

2000 mile journey for pioneers & their wagons to use to emigrate West

Question 2

Who was the Oregon Trail created by? When?

Answer 2

1836 - Jed Smith

Question 3

What was a push factor for emigrating West? What happened?

Answer 3

1837 economic depression - banks collapsed & savings lost

Question 4

How did the economic depression lead to people emigrating West?

Answer 4

WSs wanted to start afresh & leave financial problems behind

Question 5

What was a pull factor for emigrating West? What happened?

Answer 5

1842 - Pre-emption Act
allowed settlers to claim 160 acres = $1.25 an acre

Question 6

How did the Pre-emption Act lead to people emigrating West?

Answer 6

settlers can cheaply plots of land = appealing

Question 7

Who were the first people to use the Oregon Trail?

Answer 7

mountain men

Question 8

How are mountain men an enabling factor for settlers emigrating West?

Answer 8

attracted to discovery of South Path mean that they could guide pioneers to Pacific Regions

Question 9

How long did the migration West take?

Answer 9

8-9 months

Question 10

What is a wagon train?

Answer 10

Chain of 20 wagons as a form of protection against attack from PIs

Question 11

What conditions did pioneers face journeying West? Give 3 conditions.

Answer 11

water shortages
sandstorms
buffalo stampedes

Question 12

How many people died on the journey West between 1840-1860?

Answer 12

34,000

Question 13

What were 2 causes of death for people migrating West?

Answer 13

chlolera from rivers
crushed by wagons

Question 14

Who led the Donner party?

Answer 14

Jacob & George Donner

Question 15

Who were Jacob & George orignally leading?

Answer 15

group of 300 people with 60 wagons migrating West

Question 16

What happened to the Donner party?

Answer 16

Conflict between members -> 80 decided to take short cut

Question 17

Where were the Donner party headed?

Answer 17

California

Question 18

When did the Donner party leave? What time do pioneers normally leave?

Answer 18

May 1846 - normally early April

Question 19

Why did the Donner party face problems?

Answer 19

80 people took a more dangerous & treacherous short cut = resorted to cannibalism as got stranded in the snow

Question 20

Define mormon.

Answer 20

member of the church of Jesus Christ, founded by Joseph Smith in America in 1830

Question 21

What did Joseph Smith believe?

Answer 21

angel had uncovered 2 gold plates & helped translate the language which became the Book of Mormon

Question 22

When was the Book of Mormon discovered?

Answer 22

1827

Question 23

Why did Joseph Smith’s followers face hostility? When & where did they move?

Answer 23

for their beliefs - 1831 Ohio

Question 24

Why were Joseph Smith’s followers forced to move from Ohio?

Answer 24

1837 economic depression -> other American’s envied mormon’s finanical security

Question 25

Why were the Mormon's forced to move from Missouri?

Answer 25

Mormons were anti-slavery & friendly towards PIs but Missouri was slave state

Question 26

When did the Mormons leave Missouri?

Answer 26

1838

Question 27

What happened in Illinois in that meant that the Mormons were forced to go West?

Answer 27

Smith had preached polygamy = acceptable

Question 28

What did Joseph Smith's teaching lead to? When was he killed?

Answer 28

arrested & killed 27th June 1845

Question 29

Who became the new leader of the Mormons after Joseph Smith?

Answer 29

Brigham Young

Question 30

Where did Brigham Young decided to relocate the Mormons?

Answer 30

Great Salt Lake

Question 31

Why did the Mormons relocate to Great Salt Lake?

Answer 31

unsafe living amongst non-Mormons & GSL under control of Mexico not US government

Question 32

What did Young lead at first to ensure a successful migration? Why?

Answer 32

pioneer band - ensure safety of route for wagons & to map it out

Question 33

Why was sending a pioneer band at first important?

Answer 33

Mormons could be prepared for journey by building fords over rivers, planting crops along way & planned resting places to prevent livestock dying of exhaustion

Question 34

What did Young's leadership enable the Mormons to build?

Answer 34

self-sufficient settlement

Question 35

What was did the Mormons build as part of their settlement?

Answer 35

irrigation ditches - water supply

Question 36

What and how were resources provided by the settlement?

Answer 36

land, water & timber were all equally allocated to families

Question 37

What did the US government create to enable protection for the Mormons?

Answer 37

Territory of Utah

Question 38

What was the Perpetual Emigrating Fund?

Answer 38

set up to loan money to settlers to pay for journey to Utah

Question 39

How many converts reached Utah in 1855?

Answer 39

4000