Life in the West Listen carefully to fill in the notes on the right. Write a question or draw a picture for each section and write a summary.

I. Trade in the West After Mexico won independence they began to trade with America. Captain William Becknell led a wagon train with trade items from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe. This route became the Santa Fe Trail and was very busy.

B. The Fur trade became popular in the Oregon Territory. Fur traders found the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains. Many mountain men got rich as fur trappers.

C. Mountain men lived dangerous, isolated lives. They lived in bitter cold, intense heat, and were attacked by wild animals. Once a year trappers would meet at a rendezvous and sell their furs. By 1830 the fur trade died out and mountain men became guides for pioneers heading west.

II. Hardships on the Oregon Trail Farmers went west to find free and fertile land, mild climate, and good rainfall. The route to Oregon was 2000 miles and took at least 5 months. They traveled about 15 hours a day. Disease and accidents killed one out of ten travelers. Settlers arrived west with few possessions and tools to start their new lives.

B. Women in the west worked alongside men and had high status in society. Wyoming Territory was the first area in the whole United States to allow women to vote in 1869.

C. Native American lived an uneasy peace with white settlers. Many Native Americans were angry with strangers on their land. When gold was discovered and more settlers moved west, more battles were fought between Natives, whites, and Chinese immigrants.