Oregon Trail Diary

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Westward Ho! The Oregon Trail Diary In the 1800s, it was very common for people to keep diaries and journals of the events in their lives. On the Oregon Trail many adults and children kept diaries to record what they knew would be the greatest adventure and danger of their lifetime. Travellers often wrote about: *the changing geography they encountered, *the daily activities of their friends and family along the trip, *their thoughts about why they where going west and their fears about leaving home and loved ones for a uncertain future, *important events that happened along the way. Your Assignment Each student will take the role of a member of a family going west. You will complete a diary from the viewpoint of that person on the Oregon Trail in the year 1845. *The diary will have at least 15 entries and a total of at least 1,000 words. *You will fill your diary with information about events from the viewpoint of the person you are representing. Important things to remember *Wagon trains could not leave Independence until the prairie grass began to grow in early April and had to reach Oregon before the snows began to fall in the middle of October. *Travel across Kansas was often slow because of spring rains. *One out of every 17 individuals who set out for Oregon or California died along the way. *Although travellers did die from accidents and drowning, the most common cause of death was cholera. *Emigrants were always afraid of Indian attacks, but they seldom happened. The length of the journey changed as the starting point for the trail changed over time. Early emigrants left from Independence, Mo. Spring rains cause the streams and rivers in Kansas to flood, causing delays and making crossings dangerous. Later emigrants found leaving from St. Joe and Council Bluffs

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