Overview
The Santa Fe Trail was an 18th-19th century trade route, linking Indepedence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. This "highway" was one of many bringing settlers, traders, and America westwards. First traveled by French explorers, then the Spanish in the 18th century, by 1821 it was a vital link between Mexico and the United States.
Route
The Santa Fe Trail started near modern-day Kansas City, Missouri. The western-most point was Santa Fe, its namesake. There were two major variations of the route that settlers took to Santa Fe. One, called the Mountain Branch, crossed into Colorado, avoiding the river crossings and dangerous plains that the Cimarron Cutoff traveled through. The two branches rejoin in New Mexico, and continue around the mountains to reach Santa Fe.
Importance
The importance of the Santa Fe Trail to both the United States and Mexico stems from when it was first traveled. In 1821, Mexico was newely independent from Spain. Under Spain, Santa Fe and indeed most of Mexico was forbidden to trade with the United States. Travelers that reached Santa Fe remarked that it was "starved" for manufactured goods and supplies.
As Santa Fe was the capital of the province of Nuevo México, it was also a hub of trade and a gateway to the rest of Mexico. When trade opened in 1821, great demand for America's manufacted goods meant high prices, and silver coins flowing back to the United States. The United States was also in the midst of an economic crisis at the time (The Great Panic of 1819), so the influx of hard currency was very valuable.
Manifest Destiny
Like many other trails to the west, and the more famous Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail not only brought traders but also settlers westwards. After the United States incorporated New Mexico after the Mexican-American War, settlers traveled westwards into the newly acquired lands. With the help of the Old Spanish Trail to the north or the GIla Route to the south, settlers starting in Missouri could travel all the way to the Pacific ocean, a journey of over 2000 miles.
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