Hunger. Weather. Wild animals. Native Americans.
The Mormon Trail and Oregon Trail share the Platte River in Nebraska. Both trails followed the Platte River valley for a portion of their journeys westward.
Those on the Mormon trail were seeking religious freedom, those on the Oregon trail were not traveling for religious reasons. Both were moving west for a chance at a new life, but what that 'new life' would involve was different.
The Oregon and Mormon Trails overlapped primarily due to the shared geographic features of the western United States. Both trails followed the same pathway along the Platte River and through the Rocky Mountains, as these routes offered relatively easier terrain and access to water sources. The travelers sought fertile land and opportunities for settlement in the West, leading them to utilize the same established trails for their respective migration purposes.
Yes. The trails overlapped in many places and both groups would have found it beneficial at times to trade provisions and supplies.
The Mormon Trail was primarily led by Brigham Young, who guided the Mormon pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 as part of their migration to escape persecution. The Oregon Trail, on the other hand, was not led by a single individual but rather saw thousands of settlers making the journey, with notable leaders like Marcus Whitman and Ezra Meeker playing significant roles in its early years. Both trails were crucial for westward expansion in the mid-19th century.
The Santa Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail both started in Independence, Missouri.
One of the first trails into the West connected New England with land that is now Kentucky and Tennessee. A part of that trail, the National Road, is now known as US 40. The Oregon and the Mormon trail both went from St. Louis, Missouri to Fort Bridger, Wyoming. That this point the two trails split. The Mormon trail continued southwest to the Great Salt Lake. The Oregon trail continued northeast and over the Blue mountains into Oregon. The Santa Fe trail went along the Missouri River and into Colorado, from there it traveled Southwest to what is now New Mexico.
The Platte River provided a natural guide for most pioneers who made the trek either via the Mormon Trail or the Oregon Trail. Because of persecutions suffered by the Latter-day Saints in both Missouri and Illinois, they tended to stay north of the river, while the Oregon Trail stayed on the south side. However, the trails crossed and merged at various points, and both took advantage of ferries and bridges constructed by both parties. The Latter-day Saints diverged from the basic Oregon Trail at Fort Bridger after consulting with Jim Bridger as to the most viable routes into the Great Basin area of what is now Utah.
Independence, MO.
independance missouri
The Santa Fe and Oregon Trails were both launched from Independence, Missouri. The Santa Fe Trail began in 1821, primarily used for trade with Mexico, while the Oregon Trail was established in the 1830s for settlers heading west to Oregon Territory. Both routes played crucial roles in westward expansion in the United States.
Missouri was the beginning of both the Oregon and the Santa Fe trails. The Oregon trail ended in Oregon, and the Santa Fe trail ended in New Mexico.