At the time of the Great Emigration the Conestoga wagon was very popular but not practicle for travel on the windy steep trails. It was too large and too heavy.
https://tinyurl.com/y5ntj7tl
Conestoga Wagon
- did not have a drivers seat
- was very long
- was very heavy
- bottom was curved
- body of wagon was curved up at each end
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https://tinyurl.com/y5ntj7tl
Prarie Schooner
- beds of wagon was shallow and flat
- the beds were waterproffed
- had a drivers seat
- covered with and oil soaked cloth to waterproof it
- was a short wagon
- covered billowed like a sail
- was much lighter than the Conestoga
- designed for sharp curves in the trails
- half of the length of the Conestoga
These wagons were expected to go through rivers, up steep hills, through tall thick grass, over rocks, through mud, through snow and wind while carring everything the emigrants owned. They did not have any suspension (something that makes the ride smoother or less bumpy). The ride was very rough.
The View Inside of a Wagon
https://crafty.house/photos-covered-wagon/
Most emigrants realized that their wagons were too heavy along the way and they threw out their furniture along the trails.
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mormon-handcart-tragedy/
Many
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create it." - Abraham Lincoln
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The Team at Educator Pages