Oregon Trail

In this episode, we follow the Oregon Trail, the 2,170-mile route that carried nearly 400,000 pioneers from Missouri toward the Willamette Valley in the 19th century. What began as a fur trader’s path became a major wagon corridor for settlers seeking land, gold, religious freedom, and new opportunities in the American West. Along the way, travelers faced months of hardship, including cholera, exhaustion, dangerous river crossings, scarce supplies, and the demands of oxen-powered travel. We also highlight the essential roles of women on the trail and examine how the route’s importance declined after the transcontinental railroad, even as the Oregon Trail endured as a defining symbol of American westward expansion.