What was the result of the Oregon Treaty?
The United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Oregon on June 15, 1846, ending 28 years of joint occupancy of the Pacific Northwest. The treaty established the 49th parallel as the border between the two countries.
What was the importance of the Oregon Treaty?
The Oregon Treaty is a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States that was signed on June 15, 1846, in Washington, D.C.. The treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling competing American and British claims to the Oregon Country; the area had been jointly occupied by both Britain and …
Why did most settlers come to the Oregon Territory?
Explanation: The rich farmlands of Oregon drew thousands of settlers. The land was free to those who could make it the Oregon Territory. People who were farming on marginal lands in Indiana, illinois and Missouri found the lure of rich farmland in the Willamette valley irresistible.
What three countries did the United States compete with for control of the Oregon Territory?
Originally Spain, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States claimed the territory. In 1819, under terms of the Transcontinental Treaty, Spain ceded its claims to the territory to the United States.
What was the greatest cause of death on the Oregon Trail?
Death was rampant on the Oregon Trail. Approximately one out of every tenth person who began the trip did not make it to their destination. These deaths were mostly in part to disease or accidents. Diseases ranged from a fever to dysentery, but the most deadly disease was cholera.
What was the most dangerous part of the Oregon Trail?
Crossing rivers
What was the most common problem on the Oregon Trail?
Wagon accidents
Why was the Oregon Trail so dangerous?
Disease. Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites were a few. However, the number one killer, by a wide margin, was disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.
What bad things happened on the Oregon Trail?
Stream and river crossings, steep descents and ascents, violent storms, and the persistent threat of disease among large groups of travelers were the most common challenges. Disease was the greatest threat on the trail, especially cholera, which struck wagon trains in years of heavy travel.
How many babies were born on the Oregon Trail?
What was life like for pioneer children on the Oregon Trail? Many children made the five month trek west with their families. It’s estimated that 40,000 of the emigrants were children.
What was the leading cause of death for individuals who were migrating west?
Disease. By far, the most common cause of death along the westward trails was by disease. Diseases such as those described below spread quickly among families and camps because of the unsanitary conditions or lack of nutrition that prevailed. Scurvy is a condition caused by a lack of Vitamin-C over time.
Why didn’t most pioneers ride in their wagons?
Teams of oxen or mules pulled the wagons along the dusty trail. People didn’t ride in the wagons often, because they didn’t want to wear out their animals. The long journey was hard on both people and animals. It was even hard on the wagons, which usually had to be repaired several times during the trip.
What were two main causes of death along the trail?
Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive. The two biggest causes of death were disease and accidents.
What dangers did settlers face as they moved west?
Once they embarked, settlers faced numerous challenges: oxen dying of thirst, overloaded wagons, and dysentery, among others. Trails were poorly marked and hard to follow, and travelers often lost their way. Guidebooks attempted to advise travelers, but they were often unreliable.
Why did so many of the original homesteaders fail?
Newcomers’ failures at homesteading were common due to the harsh climate, their lack of experience, or the inability to obtain prime farming lands. In some areas “taking the cure” – declaring bankruptcy or simply abandoning the land claim – became common.
Why did settlers risk it all to travel west?
Pioneer settlers were sometimes pushed west because they couldn’t find good jobs that paid enough. Others had trouble finding land to farm. Pioneer settlers were sometimes pulled west because they wanted to make a better living. Others received letters from friends or family members who had moved west.
Why was Homestead Act important?
The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. By granting 160 acres of free land to claimants, it allowed nearly any man or woman a “fair chance.”
What did homesteaders build their houses with?
prairie sod
What do you know about the hard situations homesteaders faced?
As settlers and homesteaders moved westward to improve the land given to them through the Homestead Act, they faced a difficult and often insurmountable challenge. The land was difficult to farm, there were few building materials, and harsh weather, insects, and inexperience led to frequent setbacks.
What type of housing did homesteaders live in?
The lack of natural resources of wood and stone forced the Homesteaders to live in makeshift accommodation, called sod houses (soddies), using turf, or sod, to build their houses. The Homesteaders were unfamiliar with earthen construction and initially experienced great difficulty in building good-quality houses.
How long did people live in sod houses?
Settler families tended to live in their sod houses six or seven years. If the exterior was covered over with whitewash or stucco, the houses could last much longer.