The Oregon Trail was 2,100 plus mile journey from Independence, Missouri all the way to Oregon City, Oregon. And along this trail and its offshoots, between 1841 and 1869, somewhere between 250,000 and 500,000 travelers headed West, motivated by the philosophy of Manifest Destiny and the hope for economic prosperity. The Homestead Act and the Monroe Doctrine also fueled  US westward expansion. The journey to get oneself a 160 acre homestead was not for the faint of heart. Somewhere between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 settlers died along the trail, some from accidents and violent clashes with other settlers or local tribes, and many died from diseases like cholera. Those who made it truly connected the United States from sea to shining sea, and solidified the nation as a new global power. Lot of yip, yip, yaw in today's Suck! Hope you enjoy the journey. Thanks to Bad Magic Patreon supporters, we'll be donating somewhere around $15,600 this month to RAINN - the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - America's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Call 1-800 656-HOPE if you've been sexually assaulted or to report a sexual assault. The call is confidential. To learn more: https://www.rainn.org/Watch the Suck on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/zeT7n7k0p5IMerch - https://badmagicmerch.com/  Discord! https://discord.gg/tqzH89vWant to join the Cult of the Curious private Facebook Group? Go directly to Facebook and search for "Cult of the Curious" in order to locate whatever current page hasn't been put in FB Jail :)For all merch related questions/problems: store@badmagicproductions.com (copy and paste)Please rate and subscribe on iTunes and elsewhere and follow the suck on social media!! @timesuckpodcast on IG and http://www.facebook.com/timesuckpodcastWanna become a Space Lizard? We're over 10,000 strong! Click here: https://www.patreon.com/timesuckpodcastSign up through Patreon and for $5 a month you get to listen to the Secret Suck, which will drop Thursdays at Noon, PST. You'll also get 20% off of all regular Timesuck merch PLUS access to exclusive Space Lizard merch. You get to vote on two Monday topics each month via the app. And you get the download link for my new comedy album, Feel the Heat. Check the Patreon posts to find out how to download the new album and take advantage of other benefits.