Settlement of the Northwest Essential Question Why did people move to the Northwest and what was life like for the early pioneers who settled there?

Wagon Trains Head West Who came west after explorers, traders, trappers, and missionaries? Pioneer families How did they come west? In wagon trains, walking to the new land How was the trek west? Traveling across the flat plain was not too hard. There were problems crossing wide rivers and dealing with weather. Crossing the high Rocky Mountains was difficult.

The Oregon Trail The trail was first traveled in 1842. Elijah White, a former missionary, brought a group of 100 settlers. The group traveled from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The trail was used for the next 35 years. The trail was used by more than 300,000 men, women, and children.

Why Did People Go West? There was a chance to see new country and have an adventure. Good farmland was available for a low cost. Merchants, doctors, and lawyers came to start businesses. Many people wanted to escape the problems of slavery. People wanted to live in a mild, healthful climate.

End of the Trail Settlers arrived in Oregon Country and settled south of the Columbia River. The British Hudson’s Bay Company sent settlers south to keep them out of the area north of the river. Settlers soon wanted to use the Puget Sound for American ships. Settlers began to move northward around the Puget Sound. Places such as Tumwater, Tacoma, Olympia, Centralia, Alki Point (Seattle), and Port Townsend were founded.

Settlement Patterns When Oregon and Washington Territory were created, cities had to be laid out, homesteads marked, and maps drawn. Land was surveyed and marked with a grid pattern. The pattern was based on latitude and longitude. Homesteaders were settlers who got land because of the Homestead Act or other land grant programs. Homesteaders had to mark the land they claimed, register the claim at the land office, and advertise the claim in a newspaper.

Towns and Cities The first settlers came for farmland. Then settlers followed to settle cities. People in cities offered services or sold goods to make a profit. People settled in cities where shipping and transportation were available along waterways. Merchants settled in towns they thought would grow. Cities competed with each other to be the largest.

Hardships and Happiness Settlers were not prepared to handle disease. Not many options for meat and food were available. Settlers had fun dancing, horseback riding, skiing, and playing games. The first newspaper in Washington was the Columbian, first published in 1852. There was no mail delivery in rural areas until the 20th century. Mail traveled east by a combination of boats, horses, stagecoach, or railroad.

Earning a Living The fur trade ended by the 1840s, and settlers looked for other ways to make a living. Coal mining became a big business when coal was discovered in some regions. Children and people from around the world worked in coal mines. Walla Walla, Spokane, and Seattle grew because of gold or silver rushes in places outside of Washington. Merchants became rich supplying food, tents, tools, and clothing to miners stopping by on their way to other areas to mine.

Trees, Fish, Whales, and Agriculture A profitable lumber industry began. Settlers cut trees down without replanting them. People began canning fish to sell to faraway places. Overfishing, water pollution, and destruction of fish-breeding grounds caused a decrease in fish. People hunted whales for their valuable whale oil used to light homes. So many whales were killed that it became hard to find enough to hunt. In 1859, petroleum oil was discovered and whale oil was no longer needed for home lighting. Wheat was the first important crop in Washington. Apples later became an important crop. Cattlemen began ranching and dairying cows.

Oregon Territory Both Britain and America wanted ownership of the Oregon Territory. In 1846, Britain agreed to give up land below the 49th parallel. America gained more land in the Mexican War. Politicians had to decide whether or not slavery would be allowed in new lands.

Washington Breaks from Oregon Settlers north of the Columbia River wanted their own government that was closer. Congress passed the Organic Act that created the Washington Territory in 1853. People in the territory could vote for representatives, but the representative didn’t have a vote in Congress. Territory officials and judges were appointed by the president. President Franklin Pierce appointed Isaac Stevens to be the first territorial governor of Washington.