Question

In the early decades of the nineteenth century, "mountain men" such as Jedediah Smith and Jim Beckwourth explored the western United States and earned a living by trapping animals for their fur. How did they contribute to westward expansion?
A. They surveyed land so it could be sold to farmers.
OB. They blazed trails that later pioneers would follow.
OC. They established outposts that would later become towns.
OD. They recruited workers to build the transcontinental railroad.

Answer 1

B. They blazed trails that later pioneers would follow.

Explanation: Mountain men explored routes across the Rockies and the West, provided maps and guidance, and opened passes and trails (e.g., routes to the Oregon and California territories) that later settlers and wagon trains used during westward migration.