I turned on my school computer and started traveling across the United States in the fall of 1997. From Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, I traveled 2,000 miles (3,219 km) in my covered wagon, harnessed my video game oxen, and set out. I almost died on the trek, but in the end, it altered my perspective on the world forever.
In the 19th century, some 400,000 settlers followed the same route, but instead of passing through a shimmering screen, they traveled through the actual world. The Oregon Trail is the name given to their arduous journey. One of the most important periods in US history was the colonization effort that solidified the nation’s dominance over the land, its resources, and the native inhabitants.
