American Pioneers http://library.thinkquest.

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American pioneers are any of the people in american history who migrated west
to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those
who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or
developed by European or American society, although the territory may have
been inhabited by or utilized by native peoples.
The pioneer concept and ethos greatly predate the migration to parts of the
United States now called Western, as many places now considered as East were
also settled by pioneers from the coast. For example, Daniel Boone, a key figure
in American pioneer history, settled in Kentucky, when that "Dark and Bloody
Ground" was still undeveloped.
One important development in the Western settlement was the Homestestead
act, which provided formal legislation which regulated the settlement process.

Popular culture and folklore

The figure of the pioneer has played a large role in American
culture, literature andfolklore. The pioneer is not the only iconic figure which
figures in the settlement of the West. Much cultural note is given to other figures
of a more transient nature, such as cowboys, trappers, prospectors, miners etc.
However, the pioneer alone represents those who went into unexplored territory
in search of a new life, looking to establish permanent settlement.
Various figures in American folklore and literature typify the pioneer. The
Deerslayerwas the most successful of an early series, the Leatherstocking Tales,
about pioneer life in New York. Little House on the Prairie, a century later, typified
a later series of novels describing a pioneer family. Daniel Boone and Davy
Crockett are two real-life icons of pioneer history.

Who Were the Pioneers?

Pioneers were the first people to settle in the frontiers of North America.
Although many of the pioneers were farmers, others were doctors, shopkeepers,

blacksmiths, missionaries, lawyers, and so on. They came from many places in
the United States to start their new lives. The majority of their ancestors came
from European countries such as England, Germany, and Scotland. Before
leaving their homes they either saved money for the trip, sold their land and
other possessions, or agreed to work for others on the trip.

Why Did the Pioneers Travel to

the Frontier?

Although the pioneers traveled to the frontier for many different reasons, they all
wanted an opportunity to start new lives. Many of the pioneers were farmers.
They went to Oregon, Texas, and other areas of the frontier for the inexpensive or
even possibly free land. This land was available for homesteading. They wanted
the rich, fertile land for their crops. Other people came to the frontier because
they had heard stories that made the new lands sound like magical places. Some
went to the frontier in order to prospect for gold, to hunt and trade fur pelts, and
for many other reasons

Where Did the Pioneers Travel

To?

The pioneers traveled to the frontiers of North America. In the 1700s the frontiers
were the Appalachian Mountains. Later they traveled west across the Mississippi
River. Look at the map below to see the Westward Expansion of the United
States.
The orange-colored section represents the settled areas of the the United
States.

Map #1 shows that the settlers had

moved into the Appalachian Mountains
by the 1760s.

Map #2 shows that settlement had

reached as far as the
Mississippi River by 1783.

Map #3 shows that during the early

1800s pioneers began claiming fertile
areas of land beyond the Mississippi
River.

Map #4 shows that during the mid1800s Americans started settling the
Great Plains, Pacific Coast, and Texas.

What Were Some of the Trails

They Used?

Natchez Trace
In the early 1800s the Natchez Road, later called the Natchez Trace, was
developed. There were two major Indian tribes that lived in the area of the
Natchez Trace, the Choctaw and the Chickasaw. In the early 1800s many
Tennessee and Kentucky farmers would take their farm goods to sell or trade to
the New Orleans Market. They would arrive at Kentucky via a trail called the
"Wilderness Road." When they reached Nashville they continued on the Natchez
Trace. Then later the Natchez Trace became the trail the pioneers used to travel
to the frontiers of Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. The Natchez Trace
went from Nashville, Tennessee to Natchez, Mississippi.

Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was one of the most famous trails ever. It was a series of trails
that were used by the first explorers and fur traders. It was the longest overland
trail in North America. In the 1840s America and England agreed that Oregon
would belong to the first country to settle the most people in that area. The
United States encouraged people to move to Oregon by offering land
for homesteading. In 1843 the "Great Migration" to Oregon began. These
pioneers who traveled to the area used the Oregon Trail. The trail started in
Independence, Missouri and went past Chimney Rock, Nebraska. From there it
crossed the southwest tip of Wyoming and into the southern part of Idaho. The
trail ended up in the northwest corner of Oregon. It took them approximately six
months to travel the 2000 miles from Independence, Missouri to their final
destination in the Oregon territory.

What did they take with them?

They would take as many supplies as they could with them. Some of the the food
they would take included: yeast for baking, crackers, cornmeal, bacon, eggs,
dried meat, potatoes, rice, beans, and a big barrel of water. The pioneers might
even take some chocolate for special occasions. They would also take a cow if
they had one. They would use it for milk and meat. Pioneers made their own
clothing so they brought cloth to sew, needles, thread, pins, scissors, and leather
to fix worn-out shoes. They had to make their own repairs so they brought saws,
hammers, axes, nails, string and knives.

How Did the Pioneers Travel?

Most pioneers traveled in a conestoga wagon or a spring wagon. Many of the

pioneers chose oxen instead of mules or horses because the oxen were a lot
stronger. They would buy up to 4 oxen per wagon. The father would drive the
oxen by walking beside the wagon. The children would walk behind of the wagon
much of the time.

What Were Their Wagons Like?

The Pioneers traveled in a wagon called a covered wagon. The wagon was usually
a wooden wagon made of hickory, oak, or maple. A wooden piece made from

hickory stuck out from the front of the wagon. This piece called a tongue was
connected to the yoke of the oxen, mules, or horses.
The wagon could not carry more than 2,000 pounds. It had big wooden hoops,
called bows that were bent from side to side. There would be 4 to 7 wooden
hoops on one wagon. There was a canvas pulled across the hoops that would
keep out the rain, wind, and the hot sunshine. Pioneers would rub oil on the
canvas to make it waterproof. Inside the wagon there were many hooks that
hung from the wooden hoops. They could hang weapons, clothes, milk cans, and
anything there was room for. The front wheels of the wagon were smaller than
the back wheels. This helped the wagon turn. Underneath the back wheels there
was a bucket full of grease hanging from the axle. This was used to make the
wheels run smoothly. The conestoga wagons were called prairie
schooners because from a distance the conestoga wagon looked like a ship
sailing slowly across the green prairie. Traveling in a wagon was not an easy
trip. There were many things that could go wrong. For example some wagon
wheels would break or there would be no water. If they ran out of food they
would need to hunt. When they were on the trail it was very noisy because all
the pots and pans hanging off the wagons were clanging against each other.

What Was a Wagon Train?

A wagon train was a group of covered wagons that went west. The wagons would
travel in a straight single line. The wagon train looked like a slow-moving train. If
the trail was wide enough they would spread out to get away from the dust. At
night the wagon master would have the wagons form a big circle for protection
from hostile Indians, marauders and other dangers. Sometimes the children
would play inside the wagon circle after dinner and just before bed time.
Who led the wagon train

Captains

The captain, also known as the wagon master led the caravan down the trail and
made any decisions that affected the whole caravan. He made decisions like
when and where they were going to camp for the night. If there was a river
nearby, the captain would decide when and how they would cross the river.
Captains were also in charge of waking up the members of the wagon train,
deciding when they would stop for lunch, and making sure everything ran
smoothly on the trail.

Scouts

The scouts or trail guides usually had been fur traders or trappers. They knew
the routes for the destination of the wagon trains. The scouts knew where to
cross rivers, how to get through dangerous mountain passes, and how far the
caravan should travel each day. They also helped the captain take care of the
members of the wagon train. A famous scout was Jim Bridger. Click on his name
to learn more about his life.

What Were Their Lives Like on

the Trail?

When Was the Best Time to

Leave?
When the pioneers decided the time of year to leave on their journey, they
needed to consider several things. They had to plan ahead. Some of the things
they had to consider were possible bad weather along the trail, food for their
livestock, and a supply of water.

How Far Would a Wagon Train

Travel in One Day?
On many days the caravan would only travel ten to fifteen miles. On rainy and
muddy days they might only travel one mile! It would take them five to seven
days just to travel the distance we can drive a car in a single hour.
The people would have to get up very early each morning in order to prepare for
their daily travels. It was usually dark on these mornings. They would have to
start the fire, prepare breakfast, gather the livestock, reload the wagon, and
hitch the oxen or mules before getting started.

What Did They Do Each Day On

the Trail?
Each morning the pioneers would get up before daylight and gather their
livestock and cook breakfast. Many times they would go ahead and prepare
lunch as well. After breakfast around 7:00 a.m. they hitched up the oxen and

started down the trail. Since the wagon was so bumpy the pioneers who were
not driving the wagon would walk behind or next to it much of the time. They
would stop at lunchtime and rest for an hour or two. After a rest period they
would travel down the trail until about four or five p.m. At night they would circle
the wagons for protection. The women would fix the dinner and the men would
prepare the livestock for the night. After supper they would gather around the
campfires and sing songs, dance, tell stories and visit. Sometimes they slept
inside the wagon but they also slept under the wagon, in a tent, and sometimes
under the stars.

What Types of Chores Did

Children Do?
Children had lots of chores that included milking their cows, fetching water from
a stream or a river that was nearby, helping their parents cook food, washing
dishes, collecting buffalo chips or wood for the fire, shaking out dusty blankets
and quilts, and hanging beef jerky to dry in the sun.

What Did They do After Reaching

Their New Homes?

One of the first things the pioneers did when they got to their new homes was
buy land. Although land cost about two dollars an acre in many areas, that was
very expensive to some pioneers. After they bought their land they had to clear
the rocks and tree stumps so they could build their houses and plant crops. The
first spring and summer they did little, other than working the land. Their first
home was a lean-to. It looked like an open shed that faced the fire. Most of the
pioneer women and children made quilts for the beds. If they didn't buy land
where there was a stream, the men would build a well. When a group of pioneers
lived near each other they would often build a stockade, or fort to protect

themselves from Indians.