Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of the computer game The Oregon Trail and elementary school education in the 1980s and 1990s, adults today most likely have a lot of misconceptions about pioneers making their way across the United States in the 1800s.
In short? The Oregon Trail was actually different from what we remember and were taught. Today, I’m setting the record straight.
1. Native Americans Always Attacked Pioneers
If you were anything like me, you played The Oregon Trail and were constantly on edge. You were stressed out at all times over the prospect of being attacked by Native Americans while making your way out west. Thankfully, in real life, this wasn’t the case at all.
Unprovoked attacks on pioneers by indigenous people were exceedingly rare. In fact, most Native American tribes engaged in trades with pioneers and were considered assets.
2. Horses Were the Way to Go
When playing the game, it was clear to young me that horses were the best animals to keep around. They were bigger, stronger, and faster than other animals, so you could traverse the Oregon Trail more quickly.
Believe it or not, horses were not the best animals to pull wagons on the trail! Oxen and mules were far preferable due to their docile nature and sturdiness. As an added bonus, these animals could be put to good use working on farmland when pioneers finally arrived at the end of their journey.
3. The Biggest Cause of Death Was Lack of Food and Water
Nine-year-old me would confidently explain that the most significant danger posed to pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail was a complete lack of food and water, but that wasn’t the case. Disease was far more harmful back then.
It’s estimated that for every ten lives lost on the trail, diseases were responsible for a jaw-dropping nine of them. Cholera was especially rampant back then, and the lack of antibiotics meant catching it was a death sentence.
4. Every Pioneer Continued Onward
For some pioneers, the promise of a new life on the U.S. West Coast was enticing, but all that walking was rightfully considered a death sentence. Many families making the trek stopped halfway through the journey, eventually settling in places like Texas and Oklahoma.
Think about it: you could risk your and your family’s lives by continuing or stopping and living in Texas. It was a no-brainer decision for countless pioneers.
5. Everyone Traveled Via Conestoga Wagons
Most people conjure up images of large, covered Conestoga wagons when thinking about the Oregon Trail. While these wagons did exist, not many pioneers could afford them.
Many pioneers lugged along simple farm wagons largely uncovered and lacking all amenities. Known as “prairie schooners,” these small wagons were better suited to traverse tighter trails and uncertain terrain when crossing the country in large groups.
6. The Trail Didn’t Always End in Oregon
Conventional wisdom suggests that the Oregon Trail ended in, well, Oregon. Still, many pioneers found themselves in areas outside that particular state, like Washington and California.
Even today, there’s controversy surrounding the “official” end of the trail, as official monuments and markers commemorate the end of the Oregon Trail are found in Washington and Oregon. How confusing is that? Where is the actual end of the trail? The world may never know.
7. Pioneers Brought All Belongings With Them
Contrary to popular belief, pioneers didn’t pack up everything they owned and began the most dangerous journey of their lives. Their prairie schooners could only hold 2000–2500 pounds at a time, so many family heirlooms and furniture had to be left behind.
Ultimately, many people sold their belongings for cash and traveled with the bare minimum needed to survive the trip (and in many cases, that wasn’t enough).
8. Wagons Were Comfortable
Pioneers didn’t travel in luxury. They certainly didn’t travel in style. Still, I could’ve sworn I was told the pioneers’ covered wagons were comfortable to sit in at the very least, but that simply wasn’t true.
The vast majority of wagons were filled to the brim with food and supplies, making using any of them as makeshift beds impossible. In addition, their wheels were solid, meaning riding in one was guaranteed to be the bumpiest ride of your life. (Imagine the pain in your kidneys. Ouch.)
9. The Oregon Trail Was Nonstop Stress-Inducing
While playing The Oregon Trail computer game as a kid was a stressful experience, traveling along the trail in real life was, in most cases, anything but. Pioneers lived boring and mundane lives on the trail, locked into the itineraries that kept them on schedule.
While emergencies did happen, pioneers were laser-focused on traveling during the day and resting at night, only stopping to eat and give their animals a rest.
10. Rivers Were Easy to Cross
Thanks to the popularity of The Oregon Trail (and how many schools incorporated it into grammar school curriculums in the early 1990s), crossing bodies of water was easy for pioneers.
Or so I thought.
Rivers were death traps for pioneers. Raging waters were near-impossible to cross, especially with wagons in tow. In other words, river crossings were terrifying and challenging.
11. Pioneers Could Start on the Trail Anytime
Unlike how kids could boot up their computers and play The Oregon Trail whenever they wanted, the same rules didn’t apply to pioneers looking to start new lives on the country’s west coast.
Beginning the journey in early spring was the best time for pioneers. If they left too early, there wouldn’t be enough grass for their animals to graze, and if they went too late, the arrival of winter would block their safe passage through the mountains. The timing was everything!
12. The Pioneers Had No Help Along the Way
Many people have a massive misconception that pioneers received no help while traversing the trail. This isn’t true. The U.S. military actually helped pioneers when the trail became more popular; the military took over former trading posts and converted them into forts of their own.
Adding military presence along critical points in the travel made safe passage infinitely easier. Hey, it’s always good to know the government’s looking out for you, right?
13. Finishing the Trail Led to Great Rewards
While nothing compared to successfully finishing the computer game, the real-life journey on the trail wasn’t as fruitful as we were told. While pioneers received parcels of land to settle in, not all swarths of land were created equal.
No land was guaranteed to be farmable, “good” land. In many cases, pioneers had to work hard to convert their new space into useable land, which was easier said than done.
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As the ultimate everyman, Chris enjoys writing about, well, everything. Blessed with a knack for stringing together sentences in an easy-to-read and conversational tone, he'll just as likely cover the electric vehicle price wars as he would the latest happenings in the entertainment world. As a freelance writer for Wealthy Nickel, Chris focuses on trending topics across mainstream American culture, including travel, finance, and relationships. He also writes under the NBC-Universal banner, specializing in one of his childhood passions: WWE. As the principal WWE correspondent for USA Network's Insider website, Chris has interviewed dozens of WWE Superstars over the years, including particularly memorable conversations with Cody Rhodes, Paul Heyman, Liv Morgan, and Sami Zayn. When not covering the hottest brand in sports entertainment, he enjoys collaborating with other NBC-Universal properties, most recently Bravo TV, covering many of the best reality shows we all love to hate. An avid traveler, Chris enjoys sneaking away to Europe for months at a time, writing must-read content at small cafes in Croatia and Italy, often with an Aperol Spritz in hand. His life is hard.
