What dangers did the mountain men face?

What dangers did the mountain men face?

The lives of mountain men in the American West were ones of scarcity, poverty, and bare sustenance. Living in the wild, he was in constant danger from starvation, dehydration, freezing cold, burning heat, wild animals and Indians.

What impact did the mountain men have?

Mountain men were instrumental in opening up the various emigrant trails (widened into wagon roads) allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains traveling over roads explored and in many cases, physically improved by the mountain men and the big fur companies …

What were some of the dangers for fur trappers?

When they or their animals were injured, they had to treat the injury. They had to repair broken traps and rifles. The dangers they faced included attacks by hostile Indians and encounters with ferocious grizzly bears. Most mountain men became used to the hardships, as few of them returned to civilized society.

What made the life of a mountain man difficult?

The life of the mountain man was rough, and one that brought him face to face with death on a regular basis–sometimes through the slow agony of starvation, dehydration, burning heat, or freezing cold and sometimes by the surprise attack of animal or Indian.

What were some of the challenges dangers faced by Americans who traveled west in the mid 1800s?

Settlers of the Far West faced a four-month journey across little-known territory in harsh conditions. Once they embarked, settlers faced numerous challenges: oxen dying of thirst, overloaded wagons, and dysentery, among others. Trails were poorly marked and hard to follow, and travelers often lost their way.

What were the major environmental and human implications of the fur trade in North America?

The fur trade resulted in many long term effects that negatively impacted Native people throughout North America, such as starvation due to severely depleted food resources, dependence on European and Anglo-American goods, and negative impacts from the introduction of alcohol-which was often exchanged for furs.

What did the mountain men do in the west?

Some mountain men were accepted by the Indians and lived with them,a few married Indian women. By 1840, fur hats were no longer fashionable and many mountain men became guides for those making the journey across the Plains to the west. The mountain men were pioneers in charting the unknown territory west of the frontier.

Why did so many people leave the Great Plains?

Settlement came in years of good rains, so the Great Plains were overpopulated in the first rush. A heavy emigration followed the twin blows of drought and economic depression in the 1930s. Many grain farmers left because their farms were too small and more vulnerable to drought than the cattle ranches.

Why are dust storms common in the Great Plains?

Because there are no trees, hills or mountains, the region has no natural protection against wind and erosion. As such, high winds and dust storms are common across the Great Plains. The climate and geography of the plains also serve as an ideal incubator for one of the more famous and destructive meteorological phenomenon: tornadoes.

How did farmers in the Great Plains get water?

For decades plains farmers have been tapping into a subterranean freshwater deposit called the Ogallala Aquifer. As one of the world’s largest aquifers, the Ogallala Aquifer helps farmers to cheaply and easily water their vast farmlands. However, overuse has threatened to deplete the aquifer entirely.