| . |
How many emigrants
were killed by Indians in the 1840's along the Oregon Trail?
The danger of Indian attacks has been greatly exaggerated. In the
1840’s, many emigrants depended on Indians for help, especially for trade
goods and as guides. The seriousness of the conflict between emigrants
and Indians is distorted by the annihilation of an entire wagon train of
emigrants in 1847 and the killing of twenty Indians in 1846 by emigrants.
The number of killings on both sides increased significantly with the gold
rush in 1849.
Estimated emigrants
killed by Indians and Indians killed by emigrants:
|
YEAR
|
Emigrants
|
Indians
|
|
1840
|
0
|
0
|
|
1841
|
0
|
1
|
|
1842
|
0
|
0
|
|
1843
|
0
|
0
|
|
1844
|
0
|
0
|
|
1845
|
4
|
1
|
|
1846
|
4
|
20
|
|
1847
|
24
|
2
|
|
1848
|
2
|
2
|
Unruh, John D., Jr.
The Plains Across. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press,
1982. (p. 144)
|