Pioneer life in America. The story of the pioneers tells of the lives of thousands of ordinary people who pushed the frontier of the United States westward from the Appalachian Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. It is the tale of the many hardships and dangers and the isolation the settlers faced as they struggled to build new lives away from the civilization they had known in the East. It is also the story of a clash of peoples, as the pioneers sought to acquire lands where American Indians lived.
The pioneers played an important role in the history of the United States. They contributed much to America's knowledge about the geography, travel routes, and commercial possibilities of the West. They spread the political and social institutions and values of the new and growing nation across the continent. They also changed the look of the land as they cleared it for farms, roads, and towns. In addition, the pioneer settlement of America led to the loss of lands and traditional ways of life for many American Indians.
From about 1760 to about 1850, the pioneers moved westward in two large migrations. During the first migration, pioneers from the East Coast and from Europe advanced as far west as the Mississippi Valley. During the second migration, which began in the 1840's, settlers from the East and Midwest migrated to the Oregon region and California.
