No one knew what it would be like. Few were well-enough equipped. Some had to ditch pianos on the way! There were no maps before 1844, and even then these unreliable.
Pioneers relied on Mountain Men or tried to follow established trails like the Oregon Trail. There was a lack of water on the Plains. Animals and people died of dehydration.
Tackling fast-flowing rivers and steep mountain passes was not easy in animal-powered wood wagons.
The extreme weather caused many problems. Donner’s expedition was snowed in the Rockies, they had to eat their own dead to survive. The Rockies could only be crossed in Summer. Disease and poor facilities led to many deaths and there were no doctors. The dangers of a trail were many. Wild animals which might attack, or Indians. When many Pioneers reached new land they soil and climate were unfit for the seeds and equipment they had brought along.
Key dates | The Pioneers | Joseph Meek |