History of the Santa Fe Trail
Throughout its long history, the Santa Fe Trail has taken many forms and many routes. From the first recorded use of the route in 1792, to the true birth of the trail in 1821, all the way to the building of railroads in 1868, many factors influenced the trail. This timeline shows several major events that changed the route of the Santa Fe Trail, and its history.
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1792
Pedro Vial
One of the first Europeans to explore the Great Plains, French explorer Pedro Vial traveled on several trips across Missouri, Kansas, Oklohoma, and New Mexico. Starting in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1792, Vial traveled to St. Louis, Missouri and back. The route that he traveled closely resembles what will become the Santa Fe Trail. After Vial, several other explorers and traders would use these routes to cross the Great Plains, mainly Spanish travlers.
William Becknell
A former soldier from Virginia turned ferryman and then unsuccessful politician, Captain William Becknell was deeply in debt and struggling to support his family. Beckernell owed five creditors about $1200, or almost $22,000 in 2016 dollars. Technically bankrupt, Beckernell left Franklin, Missouri for Santa Fe, New Mexico, with about $300. Seventy seven days later, he finished his journey across the Great Plains and arrived in Santa Fe.
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Santa Fe at this time was still part of Mexico. Mexico had just won its War of Independence, overthrowing the Spanish viceroy. If Becknell had arrived just a few months earlier, he might have been arrested and his goods confiscated, as trade there was forbidden. But Becknell arrived at the perfect time. William Becknell's $300 of American goods was worth much more, as some of the first traders to reach newly independent Mexico. Becknell would end up returning with $6000 worth of goods, a 20x profit. Many others would soon follow in his footsteps.
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Later, Becknell would make two more trips, totalling profits of over $100,000 dollars (close to $2 million today!). He would also help map and document the trail. For this reason, he is known as the "Father of the Santa Fe Trail".
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To learn more about Williwm Becknell, click "Learn More" below
1821
1827
Santa Fe was the capital of the northern Mexican province of Nuevo México
The Missouri River still floods regularly. In 1993, there was a large flood (pictured) that destroyed the last remains of Old Franklin
Franklin Floods
Since Becknell's first trip in 1821, Franklin, Missouri became the starting point for almost all traffic on the way to Santa Fe. Although there were several other towns along the way, like Independence and Lexington, Franklin was by far the biggest. However, in 1826 and 1827 the Missouri river flooded its banks, causing the sandy banks beneath Franklin to collapse, bringing many buildings with it.
Although New Franklin was soon established on higher ground, Independence, Missouri became the new starting point for what would now be known as the Santa Fe Trail.
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Althought Independence soon became the most popular Eastern starting point, many other towns were used. This includes Kansas City, Missouri, Arrow Rock, Missouri, and Council Grove, Kansas.
1846
After the 1836 Texas Revolution, Texas considered itself an independent republic while Mexico still considered it part of its territory. Thus, after the 1845 annexation of Texas by the US, Mexico declared war on the United States. War was officially declared by Congress in May 1846.
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The Santa Fe Trail was used by General Kearny's Army of the West, to take control of Santa Fe and all of New Mexico. Throughout the war, and afterwards, the trail was used by armies and traders alike.
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The Mexican forces quickly retreated south, and control of New Mexico was taken without much resistance. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 gave the United States ownership of much of the land previously owned by Mexico.
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Around this time, military and government traffic joined traders on the Santa Fe Trail. As the United States now officially spanned from coast to coast, it also accommodated settlers making their way westwards. Due to the many forts and the military presence, the Santa Fe Trail became the lifeline between Santa Fe and Missouri in times of crisis.
War with Mexico
1863
Railroads & War
Despite the American Civil War breaking out in 1861, the Santa Fe Trail remained largely unchanged. Traffic along the route was briefly interrupted, but soon resumed normally. The trail was still a highway of trade, starting from the Missouri River and ending at Santa Fe. During the Civil War, some parts of Kansas were unsafe to travel in, so traffic along the trail started at Fort Leavenworth, rather than Independence.
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In 1863, the Union Pacific Eastern Division began construction on a railroad that would eventually span the entirety of the trail. Later known as the Kansas Pacific, the railroad started in Kansas City, Missouri, and followed the Santa Fe Trail across Kansas. The railroad was built to the north of the existing trail. Travelers would take the railroad to the furthest town on the railroad, then continue southwards on the regular trail.
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The railway made it much safer, easier, and faster to travel the Santa Fe. Crossing the Great Plains was a treacherous and risky affair, plagued by raids, storms, and bandits. With every mile the railway was extended, settlers were protected for a little longer.
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The railroads would eventually continue down what is known as the Mountain Route, vs the Cimarron Route which was more direct but more dangerous. To learn about the different routes on the Santa Fe Trail, click "Geography" below.
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Competition
In 1873, the Kansas Pacific line (formerly known as the Union Pacific Eastern Division) had crossed Kansas, and was heading south to finally reach Santa Fe. Meanwhile, a second railroad was being built to the south by a competitor - the AT&SF (Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe). By 1876, they had both crossed Kansas and were now at the same town in Colorado.
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In 1878, the AT&SF gained the sole rights to build over a mountain pass in Colorado, known as Raton Pass. This elimited Kansas Pacific as a competitor, and soon afterwards the Kansas Pacific railines were all but abandoned. AT&SF trains now served over 80% of the Santa Fe Trail.
1873
Click on the image to see how the trail changed over its history
Click on the map to see how the route, and the railroad, grew and changed over time
1880
On February 9, 1880, the first AT&SF train pulled into the new station in Santa Fe. The old trail, now redundant, slowly fell into disuse as rail travel was faster, safer, and cheaper.
Over its sixty year lifespan, the Santa Fe Trail helped people, goods, and the United States move westwards, and the railroads would continue to serve the same purpose.
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Completion
