Whether it was harrowing Indian battles or the numerous weather disasters that several caravans experienced. the trail was filled with excitement and danger for those who traveled West. The Mexican War brought the Southwest under United States rule and the character of the Santa Fe Trail changed. A more varied type of traveler appeared on the trail. U.S. Army soldiers. Government officials. religious missionaries and emigrant families were added to the mix. Forts sprang up along the trail to protect travelers from Indian attack and mail and stagecoach service was begun. When the railroads came in the 1870s. each successive railhead that advanced westward shortened the Santa Fe Trail.
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emigrant