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Surviving the Oregon Trail
In the nineteenth century, over half a million men, women and children traveled west on the Oregon Trail. Stretching two thousand miles from Independence Missouri, to the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon Trail was the longest overland route used in the westward expansion. Crossing mountains and deserts, fighting disease, short of both food and water, pioneers endured many hardships to follow the trail west with their hopes and dreams of seeking fortunes in the unsettled west. Author Rebecca Stefoff traces the roots of the Oregon and California Trails back to the seventeenth century, telling the stories of those who left the security and comfort of their homes, to endure months of hard travel in the hope of a new life.
* Reviews *
Part of the Stories in American History series, this book details the westward movement across the Oregon Trail, from the Lewis and Clark expedition to the rush of immigrants heading westward and beyond. Using historical documents, such as diaries, travel logs and guide books, Stefoff paints a picture of the mighty westward expansion. She details the many choices that the pioneers were faced with, and explains that the Oregon Trail, though most famous, was not the only route across the Great Plains. The author explores the culture of the great wagon trains and the politics involved in moving a group of settlers west. Stefoff tells the story of the migration across the Oregon Trail through the histories of real people, giving the story of the trail a wonderful depth and dimension. A timeline and index in the back of the book make it easy to navigate the pages when searching for specific information about the trail. Chapter notes and lists of books and websites for further reading make this book a terrific jumping-off point for researching the westward movement. Perfect for a school library or anyone fascinated by American history., Children's Literature
RL
Grades
5-6 IL
Grades
5-12+ GRL
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