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IntroductionMoving westThe pioneer homeLife on the frontierPioneers and Indians

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Pioneer

Pioneers are people who settle in a part of a country where people like them have not lived before. Pioneers in the United States were people—mostly European or African American—who moved westward across the country from about 1760 to about 1850. From the pioneers, other Americans learned much about the land, travel routes, and natural resources of the American West.

Moving west

Most pioneers traveled west to find better jobs and more land. Families often traveled with other families. Many traveled with a wagon and animals to help carry clothing and tools. They brought along seeds for planting their first crops.

Pioneers crossing the plains often traveled in wagon trains. As many as 200 covered wagons would line up one after the other. Most wagon trains had a peaceful journey along the trail. Some Indian tribes guided the early pioneers or helped them at difficult river crossings. They also traded food and goods with pioneers.

The pioneer home

The log cabin was the usual pioneer home in wooded areas. Each cabin had a fireplace for cooking and giving heat and light to the room. Pioneers made most of their own furniture, bowls and plates, cloth and clothing, tools, and other everyday items.

Pioneer families grew their own vegetables and raised cattle, hogs, sheep, and chickens. They also hunted animals and caught fish to eat. The pioneers kept meat from spoiling by drying it in the sun, smoking it over a fire, or preserving it in salt.

Life on the frontier

Large pioneer settlements had a church and a school. A traveling preacher gave religious services. In school, students wrote on wooden boards and used pieces of charcoal as pencils. Most children went to school only during the winter. At other times, they helped at home.

Many people died from sickness or injuries. There were few doctors, so pioneers made their own medicines from plants.

Pioneers and Indians

Many pioneers took land from Indians. They did not follow agreements that set aside land for the Indians. This led to fights and wars over land. Eventually, many American Indians lost their lands and old ways of life.

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For more information, see these articles:

Boone, Daniel
Crockett, Davy
Log cabin
Oregon Trail

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