The
Oregon Trail migration, more correctly known as the Oregon-California
Trail migration, is one of the most important events in
American History. The Oregon-California trail was a 2,170
mile route from Missouri to Oregon and California that enabled
the migrating of the early pioneers to the western United
States. The first emigrants to make the trip were Marcus
and Narcissa Whitman who made the trip in 1836. However,
the first mass migration did not occur until 1843 when approximately
1000 pioneers made the journey at one time.