In the early 1800s America was experiencing the Westward Movement. People were looking to move westward in search of better farmland, undiscovered riches, and adventure. The Louisiana Purchase, which was a treaty signed in April of 1803, gave the United States land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. This doubled the size of America. The Louisiana Purchase encouraged people to move into and beyond the newly acquired land. The United States went through a dreadful economic depression called the Panic of 1837. Many people were looking for a fresh start somewhere else because a lot of them had gone out of business or lost their jobs. Established trails and roads were essential for people to move west so they would not get lost in the wilderness and open desert. The trails would have to be travelable by wagons so the pioneers could journey across the country, otherwise...