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.
B.
They recruited workers to build the transcontinental railroad.
C.
They established outposts that would later become towns.
D.
They blazed trails that later pioneers would follow.

Answer 1

D. They blazed trails that later pioneers would follow.

Explanation: Mountain men explored and mapped routes across the Rockies and the West (discovering passes and trails), guided later emigrants, and provided the geographic knowledge that made overland migration (Oregon, California, Mormon Trails, etc.) possible.