The+Sager+Family

1. **My topic is the Sager family and the hardships they had to go through.** 2. **What I already know:** 3. **What I want to know: Who?** Was there any other reason for them to go to Oregon? Did they ever thought the journey could end up like it did? What did the other pioneers really thought about the Sager orphans? Who?** I'll ask Mrs. Brolan if she knows anything about this family. I can also ask a public librarian for book and imformation. Ms. Horn should know something about this too.
 * Who?** Henry and Naomi Sager with their six children.
 * What?** A big family from Missouri decides to travel west.
 * Where?** The Sagers travel through all the Oregon Trail. From Missouri to Oregon.
 * When?** The 19th century.
 * Why?** The family was fascinated by the tales people told about Oregon.
 * How?** They traveled in their wagon. All eight of them were stuck in a tiny wagon and had to go through rivers and desert valleys.
 * What?** How did the Sagers traveled when the weather was bad? Where did they stayed? What did they ate most of the time? What was the journey like for them?
 * Where?** Where excatly did this happened? Where are Henry and Naomi Sager's tombs located now? Where is the Whitman Mission located now? Where in the mission and how did John Sager died? Where in the mission and how did Francis Sager died?
 * When?** When did they decided that they wanted to go to Oregon? When did they left Missouri?
 * Why?** What motivated them the most to make the decition to leave home and go to Oregon? Did they thought they were going to have a better life? Why did Naomi preffered to go to Oregon instead of Texas?
 * How?** How were the Sager orphan treated by the other pioneer families? How did these families felt about them? How did the Whitmans felt about the kids when they took them in? How did Narcissa Whitman felt about having John and Francis Sager in her home?
 * 4. My research strategy:
 * What?** Books, websites, my history textbook, an autobiography written by Catherine Sager, a book I read about them and their journey for Mrs. Brolan's class.
 * When?** During class and outside of class if needed.
 * Where?** CTMS library, public library, and my laptop for online resources.
 * How?** I'll use my guide line about how to write a thesis that Mrs. Brolan gave me for my DBQ, research my topic, and take notes. I can also ask my uncle if he knows something since he loves history.
 * Key words for searching:** "Sager", "Sager orphans", "oregon trail", "sager children", "oregon trail hardships", "how did people survive on the oregon trail", "pioneer families" and other variations of this.

Westward expansion began when many families started moving west during the 19th century. Numerous people decided to leave their homes and travel west, looking for a new life and opportunities. The Sager family is the most famous pioneer family who decided to move west. The Sager family influenced the history of Westward Expansion by providing an example of what pioneer families suffered along the Oregon Trail.
 * DRAFT**

Many Americans were very brave and driven by their wish of new life and opportunities that they decided to leave their homes and travel West in order to fullfil their wish. They knew what they were putting at risk but they also new the rewards they would get if they made it. (Sandler, Martin W.) American history was impacted by the many settlers who made the hard decision of moving west. If all those people hadn't decided to travel, the United Staes probably wouln't be this big now. Out of the many challeging routes that led West, the most famous was the Oregon Trail. Many families traveled West through this 2,400 miles road that led to the Oregon County. These families had to endoure many hardships along the way, limited space and food were some of the most common ones. Many of the children that belonged to these families became orphans, since their parents died on the way to western lands. The most famous orphaned children were the Sagers.(Sandler, Martin W.) Henry and Naomi Sager, parents of six children, lived in Missouri and the thought of moving to Texas was running aroung in Henry's mind. Naomi, enchanted by the "healthful climate" of Oregon asked her husband to go there instead. John and Francis, also known as Frank, backed their father in the decision to go to Texas but Henry prefered to take his wife's advice. In the end, Henry decided thatit would be better for them to go to Oregon because Doctor Whitman had a mission there. They could travel and stay with the Whitmans for a while then they could go wherever they desired to. On April 1844 the Sagers arranged everything inside their little wagon and made their way to Oregon.("Across the Plains in 1844 by Catherine Sager Pringle." ) The Sagers made a big choice by deciding to move to Oregon and leave their homes, just like many of the other pioneer families. But the Sager children did not expected their lives to change a lot when they climbed up that wagon.

Henry Sager "was no ox driver" and their wagon was very small, so their father had to call Captian Shaw for support. When they arrived at the buffalo country, Mr. Sager, who was very thrilled about going hunting, got someone to help him and his team with the unknown lands and set out to hunt. He brought home the great bison and an anthelope that had been near.One afternoon, Catherine, the oldest of the girls, tried to jump out of the wagon but her leg got caught on an axle helve and she was "thrown under the wagon wheel" and broke her leg was severely broken. Her father who was near, saw her fall and ran to help her. He tried to put her leg back in order by putting two pieces of wood on each side of her lleg to keep it straight. But, they later found a doctor who then helped her with her leg.("Across the Plains in 1844 by Catherine Sager Pringle." ) As they entered the Great American Desert, almost everyone became sick. Mr. Sager and his two sons were a couple of the unlucky people who got sick. Their driver, the Dutch doctor, was not very good at driving oxen. They had a little trouble one day when four buffalo got in between their wagon and the other one that was traveling behind. Mr. Sager took his gun and chased them away but days later it became visible that "his days were numbered". Of course he knew he would soon die, but he was preoccupied when the thought of leaving his family crossed his mind. They crossed the Green River and that evening he died. Captain Shaw and his family and friends buried him in the outskirts off Green River the next morning.("Across the Plains in 1844 by Catherine Sager Pringle.") This is very important because it shows why John and Frank had to grow up too fast, and is also one of the many conflicts the Sagers encountered along their journey. After Mr. Sager's death, Naomi still couldn't trust the doctor with the driving job, so she hired a young man to help them out. This man would soon betray them when they'd arrived at Fort Bridger. Since the stream happened to be full of fish they decided to catch some and made nets out of wagon sheets. Later that day their diver asked Mrs. Sager if she could let her use the gun and he would bring her food. She let him borrow her husband's gun and he took it, but they never sawe him again. Naomi's health was not very good since every noght and morning was cold. She fought bravely against a sore throath and camp fever only for the sake of her children. Soon after reaching Fort Bridger she talked to her husband as if he were there and told him about her sufferings, until one day she beacme unconsious. The "kind-hearted" women of the train took care of her little baby and older children. They would usually come to the wagon and make her comfortable. But one day when one of the women came in as always she thought Mrs. Sager was asleep since she didn't replied to her questions but later realized that Naomi was dead. They buried her the next morning somewhere near the road. After that, the Sager orphans looked at their mother's face one last time and climbed up the wagon and left. ("Across the Plains in 1844 by Catherine Sager Pringle.") This is important because it was their only mom and they lost her when they were very young and i think that kind of left an impact on their lives. Besides they had to be taken care of by the other women in the train because even though John was capable of taking care of them, they still needed a motherly figure in their lives. Although, there is no replacement for your own mother onece you loose her.

On October, 1844, a small cart arrived at the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu. Captain Shaw had succesfully managed to keep the Sage rchildren safe and sound and took them to the Whitmans. Narcissa Whitman came out and saw her new children, compassion was visible in her eyes. Dr. Dagon's "work of father and mother now ended", and the tow older boys who were overwhelmed by weariness but mostly relief, started crying. Ctherine was also crying, and the smaller children just awkwardly stood there wondering what would become of them.("The True Story of the Sagers.") This is like the most important part of their story... this is where they find a new family, a new home, everything. But their arrival at the Wihtman Mission also led John and Frank to their death. The death of the two Sager boys was tragic. Frank, who died at the age of 15, was in a "school room" at the time of the massacre. He went out to comfort his younger sisters and was shot by the Native American who started the conflict; Joe Lewis. The older Sager boy, John, was killed at the age of 17 when he tried to defend Dr. Whitman from the Native Americans. ("Whitman Massacre Roster .") This was something important because it explains which of the Sager died and how...it also helps me understand a little more about John and Frank's personality. For example, John was quiet and probably very smart, it also says he loved to write and apparently he was very obedient. Frank, on the other hand, was more rebellious. I can tell this because i know that he once ran away from the Whitman Mission. One of the two Sager boys, Frank, had a rebellious side. After being free on the plains for a long time, it was sure going to be hard to adjust to having to obey orders from someone who is not your mothe or father. The strcit rules imposed by Narcissa Whitman, who also didn't show her love to Frank very often, were too much for him. Too much that he once decided to run away. Reverend Griffin tried to talk some sense into him by reminding him of the promise he made to his dad. A promise of keeping his sisters safe. Frank decided to return home, to the Whitman Mission, and to his surprise Narcissa welcomed him with a big hug and in a motherly love kind of way. Weeks later the massacre happened, and Rev. Griffin blamed himself for Frank's death.("Whitman Massacre Roster .")

code "Across the Plains in 1844 by Catherine Sager Pringle." //The Oregon Trail//. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. code code 2010. . code code "Letters and Diaries of Narcissa Whitman." //The Oregon Trail//. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2010. code code . code code "Oregon Trail." //Student Resource Center Junior//. Gale, 1999. Web. 26 Mar. 2010. code code . code code Sandler, Martin W. //Pioneers: A Library of Congress Book//. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1994. code code Print. code code "The True Story of the Sagers." //National Park Service//. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Apr. 2010. code code . code code "Westward I Go Free." //The West: Empire Upon The Trail//. PBS, 2001. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. code code . code code "Whitman Massacre Roster ." //Oregon Pioneer//. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. code code . code
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