What are some fun facts about the Santa Fe Trail?

What are some fun facts about the Santa Fe Trail?

The route was pioneered in 1821 by a trader called William Becknell (1796–1865). Because the road began in Santa Fe, it was called the Santa Fe Trail. The southern Cimarron Fork shortened the journey by 100 miles but carried the danger of offering limited water. 75% of people chose this route.

Where does the Santa Fe Trail begin and end?

Covering approximately 800 miles, the Santa Fe Trail extends from Independence, Missouri to present day Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Trail originally began in Franklin, Missouri, but the trail head was moved to Fort Osage and, by 1827, to Independence.

What happened in Santa Fe Trail?

Santa Fe was near the end of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, which carried trade from Mexico City. The route skirted the northern edge and crossed the north-western corner of Comancheria, the territory of the Comanche. Realizing the value, they demanded compensation for granting passage to the trail.

How long did it take to complete the Santa Fe Trail?

8 to 10 weeks
How long did it take to travel the Trail? For most people, it took 8 to 10 weeks to travel by wagon train between Independence or Westport, Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Why was the Santa Fe Trail popular?

From 1821 until 1846, the Santa Fe Trail was a two-way international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders. Because the Santa Fe Trail hauled primarily commercial goods, this railroad expansion meant that the trading caravans needed to traverse increasingly short distances.

Why was the Santa Fe Trail used?

The Santa Fe Trail (aka, Santa Fe Road) was an ancient passageway used regularly after 1821 by merchant-traders from Missouri who took manufactured goods to Santa Fe to exchange for furs and other items available there. Mexican traders also provided caravans going to western Missouri in this international trade.

Why is the Santa Fe Trail important?

The Santa Fe Trail was mainly a trade route but saw its share of emigrants, especially during the California Gold Rush and the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in Colorado. The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express.

What problems did the travelers face on the Santa Fe Trail?

While some travelers made the trip without incident, the unforgiving climate, illness, mechanical failures, starvation, dehydration, and the potential for violent encounters created an array of challenges to prepare for and overcome. While some struck it rich, others lost their fortunes, their health, or their lives.

Who walked on the Santa Fe Trail?

1821 – William Becknell, a Missouri trader, was the first to follow the route that later became known as the Santa Fe Trail. His mule train passed through Morris County at what became known as Council Grove.

Why did the Santa Fe Trail end?

After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the more settled parts of the United States to the new southwest territories. Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.

What food did they eat on the Santa Fe Trail?

For Western Indian tribes, food staples included cornmeal, sunflower-seed meal, acorns, and deer, buffalo and dog, he says. Indian delicacies included buffalo hide shavings cooked with chokecherries.

Why is it called the Santa Fe Trail?

What was the significance of the Sante Fe Trail?

The Santa Fe Trail was the most important route to the West from the Missouri River to Santa Fe, Mexico, before the era of the railroads. It was used extensively by traders, freighters, those headed to Pikes Peak, and the military from its survey by the federal government in 1825 until the 1870s.

What states does the Santa Fe Trail go through?

The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico.

What is the purpose of the Santa Fe Trail?

The mission of the Santa Fe Trail Association is to protect and preserve the Santa Fe Trail and to promote awareness of the historical legacy associated with it. The Santa Fe Trail Association’s purposes are exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

What was the Santa Fe Trail primarily used for?

The Santa Fe Trail was an important trade route in the nineteenth century. Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was mainly used as a commercial travel route connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Explorer William Becknell initially followed this route in his 1821 attempt to find an alternative market for his merchandise.