HIST 2215 Oregon Trail Field Experience

This outdoor, experiential learning course is a living history reenactment of mid-1800s covered wagon train life on the western trails. This quintessential American experience consists of multiple days traveling and tent camping along the actual historic Oregon, California and Mormon Trails near South Pass. Students travel with saddle horses and covered wagons and/or handcarts to numerous nationally significant historic and archaeological sites, prepare maps and written records of their experiences, help with camp chores, attend lectures and participate in discussions of history, geography, political science and other disciplines. Learning how to travel as safely as possible with livestock and nineteenth century technology is a major emphasis of the course. This is a physically demanding field course, unless special arrangements are made all applicants should be in good physical health, able to walk long distances over rough terrain, carry heavy objects and sleep on the ground. All participants must have health insurance. Prerequisites: Completion of at least two of the following: HIST 1290, HIST 1210, HIST 1220, HIST 1250, HIST 1270, instructor-guided independent readings and instructor's permission. (3 lect.)

Credits

3 credits

Transfer Status

Transferable to UW.

Major Topics

• How the "Great Migration" embodied the philosophy of Manifest Destiny and shaped the nation geographically and psychologically, the costs of that development, and its relevance to modern global geopolitics.
• The trials, joys and difficulties of the trail experience and wagon travel which cannot be fully comprehended merely by reading diaries and historical overviews – why the "adventures" of trail life must be experienced first hand to be appreciated.
• Women’s roles in opening the trails and westward expansion.
• The unique history of the Mormon Migration and its sometimes troubled role in the Great Migration.
• The complex relationships between Native Americans, emigrants, and the government.
• The crucial role of Wyoming geography and local history in national expansion.

Outcomes

In order to successfully complete this course, the student will:

1. Acquire a detailed, first-person understanding of covered wagon travel and analyze how those challenges influenced the overall emigration and the pioneers’ individual attitudes, decisions and actions. ASSESSMENT: May include journals incorporating prose descriptions of students’ experiences, emotions (including all senses) and lecture notes; camp and trail sketches; maps of camps and routes traveled; other records including photographs. Discussions with other students and instructors.

2. Compare the motivational requirements and philosophies of emigrants and Native Americans. ASSESSMENT: may include reflect understanding in class discussions and journal notes.

3. Compare the reasons different groups emigrated and their travel demographics, methodologies. ASSESSMENT: may include class discussions, journal notes.

4. Evaluate the nineteenth century ramifications of the Great Migration on Native Americans, other nations (e.g., Mexico, Great Britain, Russia), and on the modern world. ASSESSMENT: may include journal notes, class discussions.

5. Determine the role of South Pass geography in the expansion of the nation. ASSESSMENT: may include journal notes, class discussions.

6. Use appropriate field experience equipment and classroom research / presentation technology as mandated by the requirements of the course.