Chapter 16.4 and 5From Sea to Shining Sea

• As America continued to grow in population– Americans continued to

travel to new areas in North America.

– With new areas being founded, new Americans are born.

The Fur Traders• When Americans went

Northwest, they found 2 things:– Cold and wet weather– Animals that had adapted to

their environment• Beavers• Buffalo• Deer

• Each animal had thicker “furs” than the same animal in other parts of the USA

• What does this mean???– More fur = more $$$

The Mountain Men Move In…

• Mountain men – American pioneers who

moved to upper NW in search of fur. • Moved specifically to

Oregon Territory

– John Jacob Astor• Started largest fur

company called American Fur Company.

How did Mountain Men live?• Live in the wilderness

– Hunt animal and kill it

• Live with Indian tribes– Get help in hunting animals

• Mountain men get the fur• Indians get the meat

• Trade with fur companies at yearly meetings– Called rendezvous

Oregon Fever• From 1810 to 1840

– Population in Oregon Territory grew quickly

– People flocked her for a chance of a new life

– Traveled along what became known as the Oregon Trail• 2,000 miles across the

Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains

Travel on the Oregon Trail

• Very hard!– Took about 6 months

to get out to Oregon!

– Went out in large wagon trains• Groups of families in

wagons

• About 1 in 4 travelers died on way to Oregon

– So why try to get to Oregon??

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Oregon

Other travelers take a different route

• Some travelers came off the Oregon Trail to follow a Southern Route– Called the California Trail

• Why?– Shorter!

• Problem:– You have to cross a

mountain range called the Sierra Nevada

– Goal:» Make it across before

the 1st snowfall!

The Donner Party• Spring 1846

– Left Oregon Trail to cross the Sierra Nevada Mts.

– Problem: • They get lost!

• Fall 1846– Starts snowing in August

• Try to build housing to make it through the winter!

• Problem:– There’s not enough food…

February 1847

• A rescue party finds what is left of the Donner Party – Started with 87

• Now there is only 45 alive

• Weird fact:– There were only 8

graves….

– What happened to the rest of the bodies?

Others who did make it to California

• John Sutter– Swiss immigrant who

traveled across America to California

– 1839• Built a colony called

Sutter’s Fort

• Today = Sacramento, CA

George Caitlin and

Alfred Jacob Miller

• Moved to California to draw and paint “the American West”

– Remember: – Pictures are only for

rich people

– This is the only way to know what it looked like.

What did they paint? Buffalo…and lots of it!

Review Questions• What are Mountain Men?

• Who was John Jacob Astor?

• What was the Oregon Trail?

• Who were the Donner Party?