The Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail: Sketches of Prairie and Rocky-Mountain Life — also known as The California & Oregon Trail — is a fascinating account of mid-19th century westward migration and an important document of a pivotal moment in American history. Parkman is sometimes difficult to sympathize with. His descriptions of indigenous peoples were criticized even by some of his contemporary writers, such as Herman Melville, while his later opposition to women’s suffrage made him an unpalatable figure for most. Despite this, his description of a two-month sojourn beyond the American “frontiers” is an important historical text, painting a fascinating picture of a nation on the cusp of enormous, fundamental change.