What problems did the Pioneers face?
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 |