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A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West
American Old West

For cultural influences and their development, see Western .The American Old West or Wild West comprises the history, geography, peoples, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States , most often referring to the period of the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of th...
, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagon
Covered wagon

The covered wagon is an icon of the American Old West, used in travel on the Oregon Trail.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteeth century thousands of Americans took them across the plains to Oregon and California....
s banded together for mutual assistance. Although most trains elected a captain and created by-laws, in reality the captain had little authority. His role was largely confined to getting everyone moving in the morning and selecting when and where to camp at night.

Overland emigrants discovered that smaller groups of twenty to forty wagons were more manageable than larger ones.






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A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West
American Old West

For cultural influences and their development, see Western .The American Old West or Wild West comprises the history, geography, peoples, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States , most often referring to the period of the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of th...
, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagon
Covered wagon

The covered wagon is an icon of the American Old West, used in travel on the Oregon Trail.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteeth century thousands of Americans took them across the plains to Oregon and California....
s banded together for mutual assistance. Although most trains elected a captain and created by-laws, in reality the captain had little authority. His role was largely confined to getting everyone moving in the morning and selecting when and where to camp at night.

Overland emigrants discovered that smaller groups of twenty to forty wagons were more manageable than larger ones. Membership in wagon trains was generally fluid and wagons frequently joined or left trains depending on the needs and wishes of their owners. An accident or illness, for instance, might force someone to fall behind and wait for the next train, or an emigrant might "whip up" to overtake a forward train after a quarrel.

Although "train" suggests a line of wagons, when the terrain permitted the wagons would often fan out and travel abreast to minimize the amount of dust each wagon encountered.

At night, wagon trains were often formed into a circle for shelter from wind
WIND

The Global Geospace Science WIND satellite is a NASA science spacecraft launched at 04:31:00 EST on November 1, 1994 from launch pad 17B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Merritt_Island%2C_Florida, Florida aboard a McDonnell Douglas Delta II 7925-10 rocket....
 or weather
Weather

Weather is a set of all the Phenomenon occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. Weather phenomena lie in the hydrosphere and troposphere....
 and to corral the emigrants' animals in the center to prevent them from running away or being stolen by Indians
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
. While Indians might attempt to raid horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
s under cover of darkness, they rarely attacked a train; wagons were seldom circled defensively, contrary to popular belief.

Although wagon trains are associated with the Old West, the Trekboer
Trekboer

The Trekboere were nomadic pastoral descendants of Dutch people settlers of the Cape Colony, Flemish people settlers, French people Huguenot refugees, German people Protestants, and smaller numbers of Danish people, and Scottish people as well as Indians, Malays and Khoi....
s of South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
 also traveled in caravans of covered wagons. Today, covered wagon trains are used to give an authentic experience for those desiring to explore the West as it was in the days of the pioneers and other groups traveling before modern vehicles were invented.

See also

  • Covered wagon
    Covered wagon

    The covered wagon is an icon of the American Old West, used in travel on the Oregon Trail.Although covered wagons were commonly used for shorter moves within the United States, in the mid-nineteeth century thousands of Americans took them across the plains to Oregon and California....
  • Conestoga wagon
    Conestoga wagon

    The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered freight carrier used extensively during the late 1700s and 1800s in the United States. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 short tons , and was drawn by 4 to 8 mules or 4 to 9 oxen....
  • Cavalcade
    Cavalcade

    Cavalcade may refer to:*Cavalcade, a horseback procession, parade, or mass trail ride*A huge parade*A huge procession*Cavalcade *Cavalcade , 1933 Academy Award-winning film...
  • Convoy
    Convoy

    A convoy is a group of vehicles traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas....


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