Why did William Becknell go to Santa Fe?
William Becknell. When Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, it opened up trade to its territories; residents of Santa Fe were eager for more trade goods. In 1822, Becknell altered his route to Santa Fe in order to find a trail more suitable for wagon trains so that he could enable transport of more trade goods.
What did William Becknell do for the pioneers?
William Becknell (1787 or 1788 – April 30, 1865) was an American soldier, politician, and freight operator who is credited by Americans with opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821. He found a trail for part of the route that was wide enough for wagon trains and draft teams, making it easier for trader and emigrants along this route.
What happened to the Spanish colonists of New Mexico?
As trade routes expanded along the Rio Grande, commerce inevitably reached the Spanish colonists of New Mexico—but Spain had declared trade with Native Americans illegal. Still, many American explorers traveled to Santa Fe and attempted trade. Most were detained and sent home. By 1810, the Mexican people had had enough of Spain’s iron-fisted rule.
What happened to Samuel Becknell in 1821?
In 1821 Becknell faced substantial debt. He had bought out the Boone family interest in the salt works around 1818. In 1820 he ran unsuccessfully for the Missouri Legislature, having borrowed money to finance the campaign. The Panic of 1819 took its toll on his business activities by limiting the amount of credit and hard currency available.
Why is William Becknell important?
William Becknell (1787 or 1788 – April 30, 1865) was an American soldier, politician, and freight operator who is credited by Americans with opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821.
Was William Becknell the first American trader to use the Santa Fe Trail?
True; William Becknell was the first American trader to use the Santa Fe trail.
When did Mexico stop payment on its debt to the United States?
Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoTreaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the Republic of MexicoSigned2 February 1848LocationGuadalupe HidalgoEffective30 May 1848NegotiatorsList José Bernardo Couto Miguel de Atristain Luis Gonzaga Cuevas Nicholas Trist4 more rows
What was the source of the conflict between the US and Mexico before they went to war?
It stemmed from the annexation of the Republic of Texas by the U.S. in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River (the Mexican claim) or the Rio Grande (the U.S. claim).
Why did William Becknell start the Santa Fe Trail?
The Santa Fe Trail began in 1821 when William Becknell took trade items west and found a ready market in Mexico. He passed through this area before the village of Independence was platted in 1827 as the county seat for newly formed Jackson County.
Where did William Becknell explore?
In his venture from Missouri in 1822, Becknell pioneered a new route. After moving south from the Missouri River to the Arkansas, he followed the latter only to around the site of the present Dodge City, Kansas.
What caused the Mexican debt crisis?
The spark for the crisis occurred in August 1982, when Mexican Finance Minister Jesús Silva Herzog informed the Federal Reserve chairman, the US Treasury secretary, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director that Mexico would no longer be able to service its debt, which at that point totaled $80 ...
How much did the US pay Mexico for land?
$15 millionMexico ceded nearly all the territory now included in the U.S. states of New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and western Colorado for $15 million and U.S. assumption of its citizens' claims against Mexico. Read more about the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Why did the US pay Mexico 15 million dollars?
The U.S. government paid Mexico $15 million "in consideration of the extension acquired by the boundaries of the United States" and agreed to pay American citizens debts owed to them by the Mexican government.
Who was to blame for the Mexican-American War?
But the Mexican government refused to even meet with Slidell. Polk grew frustrated. Determined to acquire the land, he sent American troops to Texas in January of 1846 to provoke the Mexicans into war. When the Mexicans fired on American troops in April 25, 1846, Polk had the excuse he needed.
What were the conflicts between settlers and the Mexican government?
Explanation: Settlers went into conflict with the Mexican government because they were planters who brought slaves. Mexico had abolished slavery before and refused this practice. Texas later became independent shortly and joined the USA in 1845.
What factors led to the invasion of Mexican territory by American settlers?
The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 was a combination of Mexican unwillingness to recognize Texas independence, the desire of Texans for statehood, and American desire for westward expansion.
Who was the first trader to reach Santa Fe and what trail did he take?
Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The route was pioneered by Missouri trader William Becknell, who left Franklin, Missouri in September 1821.
Why was William Becknell called the father of the Santa Fe Trail?
The next year, motivated by financial problems, he became the “Father of the Santa Fe Trail” when he organized a trading party that crossed the Great Plains to New Mexico.
When did William Becknell travels on the Santa Fe Trail?
William Becknell Becknell left Franklin, Missouri, in September 1821 with a small group of men and a cargo of goods and arrived in Santa Fe on November 16. They were welcomed with open arms by Mexican citizens and government officials and encouraged to return soon with more goods to trade.
What did the Oregon trail and the Santa Fe Trail have in common?
The trails were similar because it was mostly families that took each of these trails and they planned to settle down for an extended period of time.
Who was William Becknell?
William Becknell, trader of the American West who established the Santa Fe Trail. Upon settling in Missouri, Becknell became involved in trade with the Southwest. At the time, the Spanish government prohibited U.S. traders from selling goods in New Mexico. But after Spanish control of the area was
Who opened the Santa Fe Trail?
history, famed wagon trail from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, an important commercial route (1821–80). Opened by William Becknell, a trader, the trail was used by merchant wagon caravans traveling in parallel columns, which, when Native Americans attacked, as they did frequently between…
Why did Becknell change his route to Santa Fe?
In 1822, Becknell altered his route to Santa Fe in order to find a trail more suitable for wagon trains so that he could enable transport of more trade goods. Earlier travelers had ridden on horseback, trailing packhorses.
What did Becknell offer to Santa Fe?
The people of Santa Fe were eager for the variety of goods which Becknell offered from his string of pack horses. They were willing to pay high prices: some cotton cloth and calico brought the then-unheard of sum of three dollars a yard. After a month of trading, Becknell and his party left Santa Fe on December 13 with their saddlebags overflowing with silver. His investment of $300 in trading goods had returned approximately $6000 in coin.
What year was Becknell born?
Conflicting sources say his year of birth was 1787 or 1788 . Young Becknell's father and grandfather were veterans of the American Revolution, as were two uncles who died in the war. Becknell married Jane Trusler in 1807 in Virginia.
How did Jane Becknell die?
Jane Becknell died of unknown circumstance, possibly in childbirth, around the time of her husband's military discharge. In January 1817 the widower married again, to Mary Cribb. According to U.S. Census Bureau records, Becknell was the father of at least five children in total: Mary Jane born in 1815, John Calhoun born in 1817, William Alexander Jr. also born in 1817, Lucy born in 1818, and Cornelia born in 1827. Becknell supported his family by working as a ferryman on the Missouri river and by managing the Boone's Lick Salt Works. In early 1820 he purchased 180 acres in Howard County, Missouri and moved the family there.
How much did the Becknell train cost to get to Santa Fe?
The 'train' arrived in Santa Fe forty-eight days later. The second trip proved to be even more profitable than the first. Taking an estimated $3,000 in goods to Santa Fe, Becknell's party returned with a profit of around $91,000.
Who was the father of the Santa Fe Trail?
Congress. For his efforts in opening up an improved route for regular traffic and military movement, William Becknell became known as the Father of the Santa Fe Trail
Who was William Becknell?
William Becknell (1787 or 1788 – April 30, 1865) was an American soldier, politician, and freight operator who is credited by Americans with opening the Santa Fe Trail in 1821. He found a trail for part of the route that was wide enough for wagon trains and draft teams, making it easier for trader and emigrants along this route. The Santa Fe Trail became an early major transportation route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico, serving both trading and emigrant parties. It served as a vital commercial highway from the 1820s until 1880, when the railroad was introduced to Santa Fe. Becknell made use of long-established trails made by Native Americans, and Spanish and French colonial explorers and traders for centuries before his trip.
What river did Becknell follow to Santa Fe?
Becknell’s initial path to Santa Fe became known as the Mountain Route. It followed the Arkansas River to the Colorado Plains to the Purgatoire River and across the narrow, treacherous Raton Mountain Pass into Santa Fe.
What was the name of the track that Becknell took home?
His exact course there is disputed; however, the route he took home became known as the Cimarron Route and was the most popular track on the Santa Fe Trail.
Why was the Santa Fe Trail important?
The trail also became an important route for stagecoach travel, stagecoach mail delivery and as a mail route for the famed Pony Express. As the Union Pacific Railroad expanded west, it was clear the Santa Fe Trail’s days were numbered.
What territories did the United States buy during the Mexican American War?
When the Mexican-American War ended, the United States purchased Mexico’s southern territories including New Mexico, California and Arizona.
What was the Santa Fe Trail?
Contents. The Santa Fe Trail was America’s first commercial highway. Traders established the trail—which connected Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico and covered some 900 miles of the Great Plains—in 1821. Before its demise due to the completion of the Santa Fe railroad, the Santa Fe Trail served as a thoroughfare for countless traders, ...
Where did the Santa Fe Trail take place?
For centuries prior to the Santa Fe Trail, trade took place between the Great Plains Indians and early settlers of the Texas panhandle. As trade routes expanded along the Rio Grande, commerce inevitably reached the Spanish colonists of New Mexico—but Spain had declared trade with Native Americans illegal.
When was Bent's Fort abandoned?
When disease and adversity struck Bent’s Fort in 1849, Bent and company abandoned it (and later destroyed it), and in 1853 built a new trading post called Bent’s New Fort on a bluff further downriver at Big Timbers. Bent’s Old Fort was rebuilt in the 1970s as a National Historic Site.