What is the Santa Fe Trail?
Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The route was pioneered by Missouri trader William Becknell, who left Franklin, Missouri in September 1821.
What were the hardships of the Santa Fe Trail?
Travelers faced many hardships along the Santa Fe Trail. The trail was a challenging 900 miles (1,400 km) of arid plains, desert, and mountains. The natural climate was and is continental; very hot and dry summers, coupled with long and bitterly cold winters.
What was the difference between the Santa Fe Trail and Cimarron Route?
Most, however, used the Cimarron Route, which was shorter and faster but required knowledge of where the route’s scarce water supplies were located. From 1821 until 1846, the Santa Fe Trail was a two-way international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders.
Who were the main traders on the Santa Fe Trail?
Beginning in 1826, prominent aristocratic families of New Mexicans, such as the Chávezes, Armijos, Pereas and Oteros entered into the commerce along the trail, such that by 1843, traders from New Mexico and Chihuahua had become the majority of traders involved in the traffic of goods over the Santa Fe Trail.
Who was the first person to cross the New Mexico trail?
The route was pioneered by Missouri trader William Becknell, who left Franklin, Missouri in September 1821. Others before him had been arrested by Spanish soldiers once they neared Santa Fe, and most had been hauled south toward Mexico City to serve lengthy prison sentences.
Why did Stephen Watts Kearney take the Santa Fe Trail?
In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico and sent General Stephen Watts Kearney and his 1,600 men along the Santa Fe Trail to occupy New Mexico. Kearney took the Mountain Route, hoping its hazardous terrain would offer protection from Mexican troops.
What was trade like before the Santa Fe Trail?
For centuries prior to the Santa Fe Trail, trade took place between the Great Plains Indians and early settlers of the Texas panhandle. As trade routes expanded along the Rio Grande, commerce inevitably reached the Spanish colonists of New Mexico—but Spain had declared trade with Native Americans illegal.
What happened to the trail to Santa Fe in 1824?
The trail continued to provide a source of trade for the next twenty-four years, however, by 1824, the city of Santa Fe was filled with an overabundance of goods. As a result, traders traveled further along the trail, continuing into several states of Old Mexico including Sonora, Sinoloa, and Chihuahua.
What were the reasons for the expedition to Santa Fe?
Their aim was to persuade the people of Santa Fe and New Mexico to relinquish control over the territory under dispute with Mexico, and over the associated Santa Fe Trail commerce. Having knowledge of the recent political disturbances, they believed that they might be welcomed by the rebellious faction in New Mexico.
Was the Santa Fe Trail ever a static entity?
However, the Santa Fe Trail was rarely a static entity, because both the route across the plains and the eastern terminus of the trail was constantly in flux.