The Oregon Trail connected the Missouri River in the east to the Oregon valleys in the west. From 1841 to 1869, approximately 350,000 people set out on the trail, and an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 lost their lives while doing so.
There would be no America as we know it today without the Oregon Trail, and in this gallery we bring you the highlights of its (quite dark) history. Click through to learn more.