US History Western Trail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

US History Western Trail - Essay Example Some of them are English men and women with children tagged along; some are French, who were later absorbed by the United States as French colonists in the upper Midwest of New Orleans, Louisiana. I noticed that the Englishmen were wearing flannel undershirts, neckerchiefs, and hats. Even the men, not just the women of this period, knew their layering and to suffer for their style. Some wore stiffly starched collars and folded tips, which were a part of the fashion then. The native American dwellers, particularly women, were wearing ankle-length one-piece dress made of silk fabrics, very common among upper middle class women during that period. Their necklines were generally modest, with a fichu worn on them. Some of the men were wearing a linen pullover shirt made with full sleeves, deep-buttoned cuffs, a generous collar, and very long tails tucked to the trousers. Their pants had straight, slim legs, and a flap that was buttoned to the waistband. These emigrants were traveling by walking, through barefoot in particular. Some of them came through steam ships all the way from their motherlands, which took them several weeks before finally arriving in this western part of America. The travel via the steam ships must have caused them too much anxiety, as I’ve heard that traveling through these ships is comparable to risking one’s life. Several people die in ships, and during those moments, the captain and his crews usually do not have any option but to conduct a sea burial. The emigrants also encountered cholera, poor sanitation, and accidental gunshots in their long journey of the trail, which took them about 2,000 miles. There was a misconception that the emigrant’s biggest problem en route were the Native Americans, which in truth, were quite helpful to them (The Oregon Trail: Retrieved on June 26, 2008). Traveling to the west entails hardship for this prospective immigrants, adding to the fact that they had no one to depend on in their