Overland Trails Timeline
1811 American fur traders from the Pacific Fur Company established
an overland trail from the Missouri River to the Oregon Coast.
1836 The first group of wagons traveled to Oregon on the Platte River
Road
1845 The United States added Texas as a state
1846 The United States and the United Kingdom signed the Oregon
Treaty, giving United States control over the Oregon Territory
1846 Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
began a mass migration to present-day Utah, a migration that is
sometimes called the Mormon Trek
1848 Gold discovered at Sutter’s Mill, California, which started a mass
migration known as the Gold Rush
1848 The United States forced Mexico to give up a large area of land
(that is today California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and
New Mexico) to end the Mexican-American War
1869 The first railroad connecting the West Coast with the Eastern
United States was completed, making travel on the trails less
necessary
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document A: J. Henry Brown Autobiography (modified)
J. Henry Brown traveled the Platte River Road on the way to Oregon in 1847.
Brown was 10 years old when he made the journey with his parents. He
wrote this description of the trail about 30 years after the events he
described.
There was no particular incident … until we arrived at the Big Blue River,
where the first fatal accident happened …. A boy about 8 years old was
standing on the wagon … when he lost his balance and fell beneath the
wheel …
In a few days we reached the Platte River… The first night we camped upon
this stream, we were visited by one of those thunderstorms for which that
part of the country is famous… When the storm struck us, it was quite dark,
which of course added to the confusion. It seemed as if the very elements
were at war with each other. The blinding brightness of lightning … followed
by the deafening crash that seemed to shake the earth, accompanied by
large hailstones and a terrific wind … Tents were thrown by the wind… it was
an experience that can never be forgotten. But the storm went by as rapidly
as it came … By 10 o'clock next morning we were again on the move.
Source: Unpublished autobiography of J. Henry Brown, 1878.
Vocabulary
incident: event
fatal: deadly
elements: kinds of weather
terrific: strong
rapidly: quickly
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document B: Amelia Stuart Knight Diary (modified)
Amelia Stuart Knight traveled the Platte River Road with her husband and
seven children on their way to Oregon in 1853. Knight wrote the following
passages in a diary that she kept on the journey.
Friday, May 6th – Pleasant… The road is covered with wagons and cattle.
Here we passed a train of wagons on their way back [to the East]. The head
man had drowned a few days before, in a river called Elkhorn, while getting
some cattle across, and his wife was lying in the wagon quite sick, and
children were mourning for a father gone. With sadness and pity, I passed
those who perhaps a few days before had been well and happy as ourselves.
Came 20 miles today.
Tuesday, May 17th – We had a dreadful storm of rain and hail last night and
very sharp lightning. It killed two oxen. ... I never saw such a storm. The wind
was so high I thought it would tear the wagons to pieces… The rain beat into
the wagons so that everything was wet, in less than 2 hours the water was a
foot deep all over our campgrounds. As we could have no tents pitched, all
had to crowd into the wagons and sleep in wet beds, with their wet clothes
on, without supper…
Monday, June 6th – Still in camp, husband and myself being sick (caused…
by drinking the river water, as it looks more like dirty suds than anything
else), we concluded to stay in camp and each take a vomit, which we did and
are much better.
Source: Diary of Amelia Stuart Knight, 1853.
Vocabulary
oxen: a type of cow used to pull wagons
supper: meal eaten in the evening
suds: soap bubbles
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document C: Luzena Stanley Wilson (modified)
Luzena Stanley Wilson traveled the Platte River Road with her husband and
two young children as part of the California Gold Rush in 1849. Luzena told
the story of their journey to her daughter, Carrenah, in 1881. Carrenah
recorded the story by hand while she was recovering from a serious illness.
Years later, Carrenah turned her handwritten notes into a book.
Well, on a Monday morning, bright and early, we were off. Our first campfire
was lighted in Indian Territory. … Here commenced my terrors. Around us in
every direction were groups of Indians sitting, standing, and on horseback, as
many as two hundred in the camp. I had read and heard that they were
dangerous… I lived in fear that first night. The Indians were friendly, of course,
and swapped goods with the gathering bands of emigrants…
Day after day, week after week, we went through the same weary routine of
breaking camp at daybreak, cooking our meagre rations over a fire; packing
up again; washing our scanty wardrobe in the little streams we crossed;
making camp again at sunset. Tired, dusty, worn out in patience, we had to
go over the weary experience tomorrow. No excitement, but a broken-down
wagon, or the extra preparation made to cross a river, for many miles.
Source: ‘49er: Her Memoirs as Taken Down by Her Daughter in 1881, by
Carrenah Wilson.
Vocabulary
commence: begin swap: trade
emigrant: person who moves to a new place weary: tiring, exhausting
meagre: small amount rations: food
scanty: few wardrobe: clothes
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document D: James Abbey (modified)
James Abbey traveled the Platte River Road without any family on his way to
California in the spring of 1850. He kept a diary on his journey, and he
published many of the entries in the New Albany Ledger, a newspaper in
Indiana. Abbey lived in New Albany before his journey to California.
Thursday, April 18th – After breakfast we were visited by some seventy or
eighty Indians on their way to their village... Our camp consists of some one
hundred wagons. … [In the evening,] after eating a hearty supper all hands
volunteered and hauled up a big pile of logs for our camp fire, around which
all seated themselves to hear [a band of travelers play] some music. They
played ‘‘Home Sweet Home”. … Yes, how quick the sweet tones will bring
back our warmest recollections of some departed loved ones; what a gush
of gentle sorrow when we hear a song that a good old mother used to sing at
home years ago! Yes; the son never forgets his home.
Sunday, April 21st – Cold rainy day, with a hard wind… At seven o’clock I
reached camp so exhausted, that I was compelled to go immediately to bed,
when a feeling of sadness came over me. I thought of home, my mother,
sister, and friends. Oh! How gloomy my thoughts ran. I could no more
control them than I could hold a wild horse.
Source: California: A Trip Across the Plains, published diary of James Abbey,
1850.
Vocabulary
hearty: large supper: meal eaten in the evening
hands: people tones: music
recollections: memories gush: strong feeling
sorrow: sadness compelled: forced
gloomy: sad, dark
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Guiding Questions: Overland Trails
Document A: J. Henry Brown Autobiography
1. Close reading question: Based on what J. Henry Brown said in his
autobiography, what was it like to travel the Platte River Road?
Traveling the Platte River Road was di cult and dangerous. Brown
describes accidents, such as the death of a young boy who fell under a
wagon wheel. He also recounts terrifying experiences with severe
thunderstorms that brought heavy rain, hail, strong winds etc.
2. Sourcing and contextualization question: Historians consider whether
a document is a good source of information about what really
happened. What is one reason that this document would be a good
source of information about travel on the Platte River Road?
its a rsthand account from someone who actually made the journey. Brown
was there in 1847 and he gave detailed descriptions of speci c events and
conditions on the trail.
3. Sourcing and contextualization question: What are some reasons why
this document might not be a good source of information about travel
on the Platte River Road?
Brown wrote his account about 30 years after the events happened. His
memory might have faded or changed over time, so he could have forgotten
details or unintentionally so he could have forgotten
Are there any reasons why the information might be inaccurate?
its bias so it might be inaccurate
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document B: Amelia Stuart Knight Diary
1. Close reading question: Based on what Amelia Stuart Knight wrote in
her diary, what was it like to travel the Platte River Road?
traveling the Platte river road was dangerous and di cult, with sickness,
deadly accidents, and severe storms
2. Sourcing and contextualization question: What are some reasons why
Knight’s diary would be a good source of information about what
happened on the Platte River Road?
knight’s diary is a good source bc its a rsthand account written during the
actual journey
3. Corroboration question: Even though diaries written at the time of the
events can be a good source of information, why is it still important to
see what other sources have to say?
its important to look at the other sources to get di erent perspectives and
con rm what really happened
4. Corroboration question: Historians compare sources to see if they
agree or disagree about what happened. What similarities are there
between Brown’s autobiography and Knight’s diary?
both brown and knight’s accounts describe dangerous storms, accidents,
and hardships and similarities make historians more con dent the events
really happened bcc di erent people reported the same experiences.
Why might similarities between several accounts make a historian
more confident that the accounts were accurate?
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document C: Luzena Stanley Wilson
1. Close reading question: Based on what Carrenah Wilson wrote down
from her mom’s story, what was it like to travel the Platte River Road?
traveling the platte river road was exhausting, repetitive and lled with fear
and uncertainty, especially about potential dangers from NA though they
turned out to be friendly
2. Sourcing question: What are some reasons why Wilson’s account
would be a good source of information about what happened on the
Platte River Road?
wilson’s account is a good source bc it describes personal experiences from
someone who actually made the journey in 1849, o ering details about daily
life on the trail
3. Sourcing question: What are some reasons why this document might
not be a good source of information about travel on the Platte River
Road?
it might not be a good source bc Luzena told the story more than 30 years
later and it was written down by her daughter from memory, whic could lead
to mistakes or exaggerations
Think about how the story was recorded. Are there any reasons why
the information might be inaccurate?
yes, her daughter writing it down from memory, leading to errors or
misplaced information
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
Document D: James Abbey Diary
1. Close reading question: Based on what James Abbey said in his diary,
what was it like to travel the Platte River Road?
traveling the platte river road was exhausting and emotional, with harsh
weather, loneliness, and moments of homesickness, but also times of
camaraderie around the camp re.
2. Sourcing question: What are some reasons that this document would
be a good source of information about travel on the Platte River Road?
abbey’s diary is a good source bc it was written during the actual journey in
1850, providing rsthand details about daily life and feelings on the trail
3. Sourcing question: What are some reasons why this document might
not be a good source of information about travel on the Platte River
Road?
it might not be a good source bc abbey later published his diary in a
newspaper, whic could have led him to change or exaggerate details to
make the story more interesting for readers
Are there any reasons why the information might be inaccurate?
Digital Inquiry Group inquirygroup.org
