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Oregon Trail
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Map showing the route of the Oregon Trail as a dotted purple line running from Independence, Missouri, through present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and ending in Oregon. The map includes modern state boundaries, major rivers, mountain ranges, and significant landmarks or forts along the trail, as well as the Continental Divide marked with a dashed green line.
Traveling the Oregon Trail: Diphtheria, dysentery, and other dangers
Fort Astoria Shoshone Falls Wide river flowing between banks lined with trees in autumn foliage, with distant hills and a clear sky in the background, North Platte River, Wyoming. Fort Vancouver Columbia River Gorge Eagle Rock rises steeply in the background at Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska, with two covered wagons on grassy ground in the foreground. Mount Hood farmland near Newberg, Oregon
At a Glance
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Oregon Trail summary

Oregon Trail: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • William E. Hill
    William E. Hill is the author of popular books on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, Santa Fe Trail, Pony Express, and the travels of Lewis and Clark.
  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Modified link of Web site: U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Land Management - Basic facts about the Oregon Trail. Aug 28, 2026
Add new Web site: HistoryNet - On the Oregon Trail, Hardship Piled on Hardship—Yet Brave Travelers Kept Going. Mar 20, 2026
Add new Web site: Encyclopedia of the Great Plains - Oregon Trail. Oct 22, 2025
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Retracing the Oregon trail: the experience of rationing and the Oregon health plan. Feb 15, 2025
Add new Web site: U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Land Management - Basic facts about the Oregon Trail. Aug 20, 2024
Add new Web site: Legends of America - Oregon Trail � Pathway to the West. Jun 18, 2024
Add new Web site: American History Central - Oregon Trail. May 07, 2024
Add new Web site: National Park Service - Oregon National Historic Trail. Mar 28, 2024
Add new Web site: NPS History Electronic Library and Archive - The Oregon Trail (PDF). Jan 05, 2024
Changed “Fort Laramie (now Laramie)” to “Fort Laramie”; Fort Laramie and Laramie are two different places in Wyoming. Nov 09, 2023
Add new Web site: Northwest Power and Conservation Council - Oregon Trail. Oct 12, 2023
Add new Web site: Nebraska Studies - The Oregon Trail. Mar 31, 2023
Add new Web site: Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon Trail. Dec 10, 2022
Added cross-references. Nov 05, 2020
Corrected display issue. Mar 01, 2019
Add new Web site: United States History for Kids - Oregon Trail. Feb 08, 2019
Add new Web site: Smithsonian Channel - The First Women to Complete the Oregon Trail. Feb 22, 2017
Add new Web site: Mr.Nussbaum - Oregon Trail. Jan 02, 2017
Add new Web site: Digital Atlas of Idaho - The Oregon and California Trail 1840 - 1860. Jul 15, 2016
Add new Web site: National Oregon/California Trail Center - Historical Trails - Oregon/California Trails. Jul 15, 2016
Add new Web site: Kansas Historical Society - Kansapedia - Oregon-California Trail. Jul 15, 2016
Add new Web site: PBS Kids - Journey of the Forty-niners: The Oregon-California Trail. Jul 14, 2016
Add new Web site: Social Studies For Kids - The Oregon Trail. Jul 14, 2016
Added video. Mar 12, 2014
Add new Web site: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management - Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Sep 12, 2013
Add new Web site: U.S. Bureau of Land Management - Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Just for Kids. Sep 12, 2013
Add new Web site: U.S. Bureau of Land Management - Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Just for Kids. Sep 12, 2013
Add new Web site: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management - Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Sep 12, 2013
Article thoroughly revised and considerably expanded. May 06, 2013
Media added. May 06, 2013
Added new Web site: Michael Trinklein - The Oregon Trail. Feb 26, 2008
Article revised and updated. Sep 17, 2007
Added new Web site: The Oregon Trail. Jun 06, 2006
Article added to new online database. Feb 05, 2000
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