Final answer:
It is true that the Conestoga wagon was rarely used on the Oregon Trail due to its size and weight. Instead, lighter prairie schooners were the wagons of choice for the pioneers traversing this route during the peak migration years from 1845 to 1870. The correct answer is option 1).
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the iconic Conestoga wagon was rarely used on the Oregon Trail is True. The Conestoga wagon was indeed iconic but was better suited for earlier and shorter trade routes due to its size and weight. On the Oregon Trail, however, lighter and smaller prairie schooners were generally preferred because they were more maneuverable and better suited for the long and arduous journey west. Between 1845 and 1870, waves of Americans and recently arrived immigrants traveled to the west in wagon trains using this trail. While conflict with Native Americans is often highlighted in popular culture, historical accounts suggest that tribe members also provided valuable assistance as guides and traders to emigrants on the trail.