| The distance between Independence, Missouri and Oregon's Willamette Valley is approximately 2000 miles. |
| Supplies for the overland journey roughly cost between $700 and $1500, depending on the amount and type of equipment used. |
| The Mexican War began. It would see 13,000 Americans die but only 1,721 killed in battle. The majority died from disease. |
| Ulysses S. Grant, then 24 years old, got his first taste of battle in the Mexican War. |
| "Manifest Destiny," the slogan which was coined in 1845, became popular. |
| James K. Polk was President of the United States. |
| California was a province of Mexico. The population included about 6,000 Mexicans, 800 Americans, and an uncounted number of native Americans. |
| Possession of Oregon was disputed by the United States and Britain. |
| The land between the Mississippi River and Oregon and California was referred to as the "Great American Desert." |
| The Donner Party was trapped by snow in the Sierra Mountains. The members of the group were forced to resort to cannibalism to survive. |
|
|