Santa Fe Trail: A Historic Trade Route
Which statement was true about the Santa Fe Trail that led into present-day New Mexico?
A) American traders used the Santa Fe Trail to bring manufactured goods from Santa Fe to the United States. B) American traders used the Santa Fe Trail to bring silver and furs to the United States. C) Jedediah Smith was one of the first traders to make trip from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe by way of the Santa Fe Trail. D) The Santa Fe Trail was destroyed when Mexico closed its borders to northern traders in 1821. Answer:
Answer:
The statement true about the Santa Fe Trail was that the American traders used it to bring manufactured goods from Santa Fe to the United States. (A)
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route that connected Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. William Becknell was the pioneer who opened the trail back in 1821 and it served as a vital commercial highway until the introduction of the railroad in 1880.
The trail passed near the territory of the Comanches, who demanded compensation for granting passage to the trail, opening a new market for American traders. It also had New Mexico isolated from its border with Mexico, making it more dependent on the American market.
By the year 1840, the traffic was so heavy along the Arkansas Valley that the bison herds could not reach their seasonal grazing land, contributing to their collapse, which was a fundamental rock of the decline of the Comanches.
The Santa Fe Trail was important because it carried manufactured goods to and from Independence, Missouri and took advantage of Mexico's independence from the Spanish crown. It also helped mountain men and fur trappers by carrying food and supplies into the northwest.
The Santa Fe Trail followed several emigrant trails to the west that pioneers pursued in front of the opportunity to hold free land. The route was vital for the invasion of New Mexico in the Mexican-American war in 1846, after which the state of Texas annexed new territories.