overland journeys to the pacific

Presents a series of fictional diary entries in which ten-year-old Liza describes her adventures traveling with her family in a covered wagon to Oregon in 1849.

Twelve-year-old Austin Ives writes letters to his younger brother describing his three-thousand-mile journey from their home in Pennsylvania to Oregon in 1851.

Looks at what life was like for pioneers traveling with wagon trains to the American West, and features maps and descriptions of several of the best-known trails, including the Santa Fe, Oregon, Mormon, and California.

Two children travel with their older brother across the country by wagon train from Virginia to the Oregon Territory.

Recreates, from actual diaries, the trek of the 1843 Oregon Emigration Company across the 2000 mile stretch of desert and plain now called the Oregon Trail.

Depicts the hardships of the pioneers as they made their way westward from Missouri across the prairie and over the mountains to the Pacific coast.

Examines the famous westward route of American settlement during the 1800s, including everyday life on the trail, what it took to make the journey successfully, and what happened to unsuccessful attempts to reach the Oregon Territory.

Describes the creation of the Oregon Trail, the dangers of life on the trail, and the pioneers who survived the journey to make a new home in the American West. Includes primary sources, photographs, a timeline, a glossary, and additional resources.

Presents three narratives--two of them firsthand--of the first wagon trains to arrive in California, Oregon, and Washington, in 1841, 1842, and 1853, respectively.

Readers will learn surprising details about the difficult life on a wagon train and the hardy emigrants who set out on these cross-country adventures, including the many pairs of shoes that the travelers wore through and whether children had to go to school.