The Great Westward Migration is one of the most unique periods in American history. Hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and families moved west between 1840 and 1860, looking for trade with Mexico, farmland or gold in California, or a new homestead in Oregon. It was the largest voluntary overland migration of people in history, fueled not only by the allure of the West, but also by a journalist who declared that it was America’s “manifest destiny” to expand to the continent’s edge.

This photo, taken around 1900 in Oklahoma, depicts a modernized version of the Pioneers’ equipment. These wagons were mostly used to transport goods to market. The pioneers traveled in large Covered Wagons on one of three trails: the Sante Fe Trail, the California Trail, or the Oregon Trail. These wagons not only carried everything the families needed to survive the arduous, months-long, 2,000-mile journey, but also as much as they could carry to assist them in settling into their new home.

Food, clothing, a full set of tools and cookware, bedding, weapons, and spare wheels and canvas were thus required to address the inevitable breakdowns along the way. A Conestoga Wagon, a forerunner to the Pioneer Wagon, was typically a simple farm wagon outfitted with canvas covers. A view of a group of Oregon Trail pioneers. The canvases aren’t yet dark and tattered, indicating that this was taken early in their journey.

This photo exemplifies why the journey took so long: when people traveled together, they had to stop every time there was a breakdown, which occurred frequently. Another interesting fact: many people who started out on the Oregon Trail switched to the California Trail after hearing exaggerated stories of gold riches in California. Many of them later relocated to Oregon.

A family in Missouri (credit: State Historical Society, Columbia) stops before continuing west. Independence, Missouri served as a starting point for both the Oregon and California trails, and the city grew primarily as a result of the business of outfitting Pioneers with everything they needed. You’ll notice that there wasn’t much room in these smaller wagons, but they all fit when the weather turned bad. On clear nights, the women slept in the wagons, while the men slept underneath the wagons or around a fire.

Let’s take a closer look… As you can see, there isn’t much room for relaxation! However, this particular family appears to be a little better off than most; they had a nice chair, an oil lamp, plenty of clothing, and even a spinning wheel. According to rumor, the majority of the spinning wheels and large chairs were thrown out along the way! I’d like to know the entire backstory of this family. We can only hope they made it to Oregon and lived long and prosperous lives on their new land.