There were many reasons why emigrants headed west in the 19th century, beginning with the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1803, which established the possibility of overland travel to the Pacific and revealed the many opportunities available in the West for farmers, ranchers, and merchants.
In the 1830s, politicians started encouraging Americans to move to Oregon in an effort to discourage settlement by the British, and travel west increased tremendously. In 1848, gold was discovered in California, and miners arrived from all parts of the world.
Then, in 1862, the United States Congress passed the Homestead Act, granting permission to families to settle on parcels of 160 acres and earn ownership of the land by cultivating the fields, which started The Great Western Migration, a mass movement of population into the West that lasted until the late 1800s.
As emigrants took advantage of these opportunities for land and riches, they traveled to their destinations in large groups of covered wagons, called wagon trains.
Getting Started
Wagon trains were organized wherever people decided to band together and head west, but Independence, Missouri quickly gained a reputation as the perfect starting point for emigration. They city was founded on March 29, 1827. It was an important travel destination--six miles west of town, the Kansas River joined with the Missouri River, so Independence was as far west as steamboats and cargo vessels could travel. After Independence, travelers required wagons to continue on their journey.
Merchants and tradesmen set up shops in Independence offering wagons, draft animals, and supplies to travelers. However, many families filled their wagons and started their journey from their former homes and Independence was the established meeting place for families and other travelers because they knew they could join a wagon train in town.
Leaders and Guides
Once the families met in Independence and agreed to travel together, they often established temporary governments with strict rules that the travelers were expected to abide by in order to remain part of the wagon train. Some of these governments were quite formal with written constitutions and courts of appeal.
The wagon train was led by a Wagon Master, or Captain, who had the grand distinction of signaling the start of the trip, waving his arm and shouting, "Wagons ho!" He was the alarm clock for the emigrants, checking in with the families to make sure everyone was up and moving in the mornings, which naturally made him a little less popular than other members of the group. He also made the major travel decisions, such as when to take breaks and camp for the night.
Sometimes the Wagon Master had traveled the route before and knew where to find water and places to camp for the night. Often, though, the Wagon Master was simply a member of the group who showed leadership abilities and used a guide book. It was not often a paid position.
By the mid 19th century there were dozens of guidebooks published to aid travelers, but some of these guides offered bad advice and placed emigrants in perilous situations. Eventually, wagon trains started hiring scouts, or professional guides. Guides were mountain men, fur trappers, and traders who knew the trails.
Moving the Wagons along the Trail
Wagon Masters learned quickly that wagon trains were easily managed if they were limited in size to somewhere between twenty and forty wagons. However, in the early years of westward emigration, some trains were as large as 100 wagons. Wagons often left the train, particularly if there was an argument among families, or joined the train as it passed near their town, so the number of wagons would grow or decrease.
When moving, wagons generally traveled in a straight line and drivers sometimes allowed a bit of distance between each wagon, or even drove them side by side to reduce the amount of dust. Contrary to what is shown on Western television shows and films, travelers often walked beside the wagons so the bulk of the weight inside of the wagon consisted of necessary items, such as food and medical supplies. "Lightening the load" was important in order to maintain the health and strength of the animals pulling the wagons. Sometimes, travelers were forced to make difficult decisions and discard furniture or other items in order to lighten the load enough for the wagon to travel safely uphill over mountain passes.
At night, the wagons formed a circle for protection from wind, bad weather, bandits and Native American Indian attacks, and the animals were kept inside the circle to prevent theft. Horses that were not kept inside the circle were often stolen because it was easy for a horse thief on horseback to untie horses and run off quickly into the night, leading the stolen horse behind their own.
The Wagons
Although emigrants are portrayed in films traveling in large Conestoga Wagons with their tilted front and rear, these wagons were generally used by merchants, who also traveled in wagon trains on occasion. The preferred method of transportation for emigrant families was the lightweight Prairie Schooner. The Prairie Schooner required fewer draft animals, reducing the expense of travel, but it had a maximum weight of 1600 pounds. Therefore, the driver of the wagon walked alongside the oxen and other family members walked beside or behind the wagon so they could pack more supplies without taxing the animals.
Draft Animals
To pull their wagons, emigrants could choose between horses, mules and oxen. Horses were faster, but they were easily stolen at night, as mentioned above. Mules were hard-working creatures, but also more expensive. The most popular draft animal was oxen. Though sources vary in reporting the cost of draft animals, according to Time Life Books The Old West: The Pioneers, a mule cost $90 in the 1840s, but an Ox was only $50. Oxen were also slow movers and less likely to be stolen.
Sources:
- Nevin, David. The Old West: The Pioneers. Time Life Books. Canada: 1974.
- “Westward Ho!” The Real West. The History Channel. 9 Jun 2008
Darla Sue Dollman - Darla Sue Dollman, BA, MFA, has expertise in classic films, the Old West, boating, and animals.
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