Traders Seek Profit in the Southwest
Traders Seek Profit in the Southwest is a Grade 5 history skill from California myWorld Interactive, Chapter 8: Westward Expansion. Students learn about the Santa Fe Trail, a commercial route where American traders hauled manufactured goods from Missouri to Santa Fe, Mexico, exchanging them for silver, furs, and mules rather than moving settlers to new homes.
Key Concepts
Not all westward trails were for families seeking new homes. Some paths in the Southwest were commercial routes used for business. These trails connected American merchants with markets in Mexico.
The most famous of these was the Santa Fe Trail . American traders loaded their wagons with manufactured goods. They traveled from Missouri to Santa Fe to exchange their items for silver, furs, and mules. This trail was a highway for goods, not a path for large groups of settlers.
Common Questions
What was the Santa Fe Trail?
The Santa Fe Trail was a commercial route that connected American merchants in Missouri to markets in Santa Fe, Mexico. Traders carried manufactured goods to exchange for silver, furs, and mules.
How was the Santa Fe Trail different from other western trails?
Unlike the Oregon Trail which carried families seeking new homes, the Santa Fe Trail was a commercial highway for goods and business, not a path for large groups of settlers.
Why did American traders travel the Santa Fe Trail?
American traders traveled the Santa Fe Trail to make a profit by exchanging manufactured goods for valuable commodities like silver, furs, and mules from Mexican markets.
What textbook covers the Santa Fe Trail for Grade 5?
This topic is covered in California myWorld Interactive, Grade 5, Chapter 8: Westward Expansion.