Final answer:
William Becknell established the Santa Fe Trail in the 1820s, which became one of several major routes used by settlers traveling the American Southwest. The Oregon Trail was the earliest and most renowned among them, later trailed by the California, Mormon, and Bozom trails as westward migration increased.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 1820s, William Becknell established the Santa Fe Trail, a significant path in the American Southwest. This trail became one of the several identifiable routes used during the westward expansion of the United States. Starting in Missouri, the Oregon Trail was one of the earliest and eventually the most famous, with settlers traveling by wagon trains across vast plains and mountains to reach the fertile lands of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. As migrations increased, other trails such as the California Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the Bozeman Trail emerged, branching off the original Oregon Trail to reach other parts of the West.
The journey along these trails was arduous and took around five to six months, with risks including disease, accidents, and the natural elements. While popular culture often depicts high tension between American pioneers and Native Americans, in reality, violent encounters were relatively rare. After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the dynamics of travel to the western United States were forever altered, converting months of wagon travel into a week-long train journey.