The Road to Oregon:
The History Behind the Trail
“[The Oregon Trail ] is a permanent landmark of the greatest highway over which once marched the greatest army of emigrants for the greatest distance of which the world has any record."
-Harris Anderson Corell
A route, a region, and now a video game icon; the Oregon Trail holds a profound place in American memory. The Trail reveals an important part of American history, literature, education, ideologies and identity. The Oregon Trail is considered one of the greatest spiritual passages into the western corners of America, as well as the extension of the ideals of freedom, democracy and manifest destiny. The trail would prove to be a difficult one--death and disease were harsh realities that plagued hundreds of travelers. Many documented their stories from the origin of the Trail in Independence, Missouri until they reached Oregon. For each journeyer, the meanings and experiences of the Trail were different. Their epic adventures offer a lens into the history of America's movement westward and furthers the understanding of the significance behind the Oregon Trail. Perhaps these are all reasons why the Game was created in the first place--to remind Americans of the Trail and the importance of understanding our national history.
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