1. Heading West

2. Manifest Destiny
Idea that God wanted America to spread from sea to sea
Reasons
Religious freedom
Wanted own land

3. Settling Land squatter – person who settles on land hoping to own it
Jethro Tull – iron blade plow
John Deere – plow with sharp steel blades
Cyrus McCormick – mechanical reaper

4. Moving West (Trails) Oregon – controlled by both U.S. & GB Others
California – owned by Mexico but Americans allowed to settle there
Oregon Trail – most popular westward route
Others
California Trail
Santa Fe Trail

5. Trails cont. Mormon Trail Travel Religious freedom
Brigham Young led 1,000s west
Stopped at the Great Salt Lake
Travel
Journey made in conestoga wagons
5-6 months at 15 miles per day
Men – drove wagon, hunted, tended animals
Women – cooked, laundry, child care

6. The Donner Party
The trip west was extremely difficult and didn’t always go as planned
Roughly half of the 87 ppl in the group died on the trip