Heading West: Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion

Heading West: Oregon Trail and Westward Expansion — page 1
Between 1840 and 1870 Americans moved west They wanted more land They built new cities They traveled along the Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a major route People left their homes on the East Coast They put all their things in covered wagons The wagons were called prairie schooners They looked like boats going over the plains of the Midwest The wagons were made of wood They were about 10 feet 3 meters long They were about 4 feet 1 m wide They were pulled by strong animals People followed other wagons This was called a wagon train 4 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND