douglas+sarpy

//The Mormon Pioneer Trail//. Douglas-Sarpy Counties Mormon Trails Association. , 3 Sep. 1998. Web. 23 Sep. 2010. .

 · “Six thousand people died on the trail. The greatest threats to life were illness and accidents. They suffered from poor nutrition and exposure to the elements”  · “ Handcarts were used from 1856-1860. Nearly 3,000 migrants used this method of transportation. They could make 25-30 miles a day (a wagon would travel 10-15 miles a day). There were ten handcart companies.”  · As the Mormons were preparing to go west, they were approached by the United States government for help in the war against Mexico. The Mormon Battalion was formed with over 500 members near Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1846. They then began a march to San Diego, California, one of the longest marches in military history. They never fought a battle, but made history by clearing roads to the west and helping to secure California as a U.S. Territory. Some former members eventually participated in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. Paraphrase
 *  ** “The Mormon Trail is not an original trail but followed territorial and Indian trails. It followed trails blazed by trappers and traders. It followed part of the Ox-Box Trail, the Oregon and California Trails and the Hastings cut-off into the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.” **
 * "The trail was not a narrow path, but rather a corridor, depending on the river, on available grass, on the terrain, events of the year and other factors. It was a two-way road. "
 * "The motivations for moving west were unique. The Mormons did not travel west for gold, land or adventure. They went west in search of religious freedom and to maintain a cultural identity. "
 * "Knowing that others would follow, pioneers improved the trail and built support facilities. Some of the ferries they built helped finance the movement. They planted crops; they recorded pertinent information such as the topography, latitude, longitude, distances, flora and fauna. "
 * "Knowing that others would follow, pioneers improved the trail and built support facilities. Some of the ferries they built helped finance the movement. They planted crops; they recorded pertinent information such as the topography, latitude, longitude, distances, flora and fauna. "