Table of Contents
What was the destination of the Santa Fe Trail?
New Mexico
Covering approximately 800 miles, the Santa Fe Trail extends from Independence, Missouri to present day Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Trail originally began in Franklin, Missouri, but the trail head was moved to Fort Osage and, by 1827, to Independence.
What were the three major trails that went through Santa Fe?
The major southern routes were the Santa Fe Trail, the Southern Emigrant Trail, and the Old Spanish Trail, as well as its wagon road successor the Mormon Road, a southern spur of the California Trail used in the winter that also made use of the western half of the Old Spanish Trail.
What were the two main sections or routes called on the Santa Fe Trail?
The historic trade route of the Santa Fe Trail from Missouri through Kansas to Santa Fe, New Mexico, had two primary branches — the Cimarron Route and the Mountain Route.
Where is the route of the Santa Fe Trail?
The road route is commemorated today by the National Park Service as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. A highway route that roughly follows the trail’s path through the entire length of Kansas, the southeast corner of Colorado and northern New Mexico has been designated as the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway .
Who was the founder of the Santa Fe Trail?
A Brief History. 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.
Where was the main market for the Santa Fe Trail?
Its major market in Missouri was St. Louis, with its port on the Mississippi River. The French explorer Pierre Vial pioneered the route in 1792, and French traders from St. Louis gained a fur trading monopoly from the Spanish in Santa Fe.
Where did the Indians attack the Santa Fe Trail?
In retaliation, Indian raiders began to roam all of the Santa Fe Trail west of Council Grove, Kansas, falling on scattered homesteads, killing travelers, and driving away livestock. In response to the increased Indian hostility, several forts were established, including Fort Larned in 1859 and Forts Zarah, Dodge, and Aubrey in 1864, all in Kansas.