What was Robert Stuart famous for?
What was Robert Stuart famous for?
Robert Stuart (February 19, 1785 – October 28, 1848) was a Scottish-born, Canadian and American fur trader, best known as a member of the first European-American party to cross South Pass during an overland expedition from Fort Astoria to Saint Louis in 1811.
Why did Robert Stuart start the Oregon Trail?
Because of his constancy under pressure, especially on expeditions he led into the Okanagan country and up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, Pacific Fur Company partners selected him to lead an overland “express to New York” to carry business papers for John Jacob Astor.
What direction was Robert Stuart traveling and why?
Surprisingly a Scotsman named Robert Stuart pioneered the route three decades before the first wagons rolled through Powder River Valley. He did so traveling from west to east beginning two- hundred years ago this summer.
Who founded the Oregon Trail?
Robert Stuart of the Astorians (a group of fur traders who established Fort Astoria on the Columbia River in western Oregon) became the first white man to use what later became known as the Oregon Trail. Stuart’s 2,000-mile journey from Fort Astoria to St.
What is the Oregon Trail known for?
The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, which was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west.
When did Robert Stuart travel the Oregon Trail?
The discovery of the Oregon trail : Robert Stuart’s narratives of his overland trip eastward from Astoria in 1812-13. New York : C. Scribner’s Sons, 1935.
What was the main cause of death to pioneers on the trail?
Emigrants feared death from a variety of causes along the trail: lack of food or water; Indian attacks; accidents, or rattlesnake bites were a few. However, the number one killer, by a wide margin, was disease. The most dangerous diseases were those spread by poor sanitary conditions and personal contact.
What percent of pioneers died on the Oregon Trail?
If dust or mud didn’t slow the wagons, stampedes of domestic herd animals or wild buffalo often would. Nearly one in ten who set off on the Oregon Trail did not survive.
Can you still walk the Oregon Trail?
That’s right, you too can walk the Oregon Trail. Several long segments of trail exist that can be backpacked or day-hiked, and there are dozens of short hikes around historic attractions and interpretive centers.
How far did the pioneers typically walk each day for 6 months?
Average distance covered in a day was usually fifteen miles, but on a good day twenty could be traveled. 7:30 am: Men ride ahead on horses with shovels to clear out a path, if needed.
Why were bodies buried beneath the trails of the American West?
Graves were usually shallow to save labor, resulting in bodies that were washed away or dragged away by animals. Suitable headstones that would withstand weather and time were a rarity. “Sometimes the grave was dug in the trail itself to conceal it from Indians,” Mr. Werner says.
What happened to some bodies along the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail has been called the world’s longest graveyard, with one body, on average, buried every 80 yards or so. People lost their lives to influenza, cholera, severe dysentery, or accidents. They were crushed by wagon wheels, stepped on by oxen or killed when a simple cut turned into a gangrenous infection.