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The Santa Fe Trail is Established
Willaim Becknell opened the Santa Fe Trail which ran from Missouri to New Mexico, which was now open for trade due to Mexico's independence from Spain -
Alexander Le Grand leaves Missouri
Alexander Le Grand leaves Missouri with hardware and dry goods for trade and returnde from Santa Fe with $180,000 in gold and silver and $10.000 in furs. -
Government Surveys Trail
The Government conducts a survey of the trail lead by George Sibley -
Fort Leavenworth Opens
Fort Leavenworth in Missouri opens which expanded the American Frontier and was the only US military maximum security prison -
Indian Attacks on the Trail
Military escorts begin because of Indian attacks. Pres. Andrew Jackson ordered army troops, to escort a Santa Fe Trail wagon train to the Mexican border. This army escort used the first oxen on the Trail and these animals proved to be better able to withstand the hardships of the Trail -
Bent's Fort Established
Bent's Fort is established in Colorado as a way to trade with plains Indians and trappers -
Texas Declares Idependence
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War with Mexico
Stephen Watts Kearny led his Army of the West down the Santa Fe Trail, to take and hold New Mexico and upper California and to protect American traders on the Trail. He marched unchallenged into Santa Fe and, although communities such as Taos and Mora rebelled, American control prevailed.. The trail acted as the US invasion route of New Mexico. -
Mexican-American War Ends
Mexican-American War ends. United States acquires almost half of Mexico's lands in Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. -
The California Gold Rush
The California gold rush causes the number of Indian attacks on the trail to increase. For example, a mail carriage from Fort Leavenworth with ten men aboard was attacked by Utes and Apaches at Wagon Mound in NM -
Monthly Mail Sevice Begins on Trail
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Fort Union Established
Fort Union is established to help regulate trail traffic -
US Civil War begins
The US civil war begins and continues untils 1865 -
Trail shortens
Trail grows shorter as railroads push westward across Kansas. A man, Wootton improves the Trail over Raton Pass and then opens it as a toll road. His improvements cut the time needed to cross the Pass in half. -
Railroad reaches Santa Fe
The AT&SF Railroad reaches Santa Fe, eliminating the trail from existence. -
Daughters of the American Revolution mark trail
The Daughters of the American revolution mark the trail with stone monuments. -
Historical Trail Established
