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Definition of trek

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

Definition of trek  (Entry 2 of 2)

• peregrinate
• peregrination

Examples of trek in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trek.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Afrikaans, from Dutch trecken to pull, haul, migrate; akin to Old High German trechan to pull

Afrikaans, from Dutch treck pull, haul, from trecken

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 2

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Dictionary Entries Near trek

Treitz's muscle

Cite this Entry

“Trek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trek. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of trek.

Kids Definition of trek  (Entry 2 of 2)

from Afrikaans trek, "to travel by ox wagon," from Dutch trecken "to haul, pull"

More from Merriam-Webster on trek

Nglish: Translation of trek for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of trek for Arabic Speakers

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What was the Great Trek?

The Great Trek was a perilous exodus of pioneers into the heart of South Africa, looking for a place to call home.

When the British took control of Cape Town and the Cape Colony in the early 1800s, tensions grew between the new colonizers of British stock, and the old colonizers, the Boers, descendants of the original Dutch settlers. From 1835, the Boers would lead numerous expeditions out of the Cape Colony, traversing towards the interior of South Africa. Escaping British rule would come with a host of deadly challenges, and the Boers, seeking their own lands, would find themselves in direct conflict with the people who resided in the interior, most notably the Ndebele and the Zulu.

The “Great Trek” is a story of resentment, displacement, murder, war, and hope, and it forms one of the bloodiest chapters of South Africa’s notoriously violent history.

Origins of the Great Trek

The Cape was first colonized by the Dutch , when they landed there in 1652, and Cape Town quickly grew into a vital refueling station between Europe and the East Indies. The colony prospered and grew, with Dutch settlers taking up both urban and rural posts. In 1795, Britain invaded and took control of the Cape Colony, as it was Dutch possession, and Holland was under the control of the French Revolutionary government . After the war, the colony was handed back to Holland (the Batavian Republic) which in 1806, fell under French rule again. The British responded by annexing the Cape completely.

Under British rule, the colony underwent major administrative changes. The language of administration became English, and liberal changes were made which designated non-white servants as citizens. Britain, at the time, was adamantly anti-slavery, and was enacting laws to end it.

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Tensions grew between the British and the Boers (farmers). In 1815, a Boer was arrested for assaulting one of his servants. Many other Boers rose up in rebellion in solidarity, culminating in five being hanged for insurrection. In 1834, legislation passed that all slaves were to be freed. The vast majority of Boer farmers owned slaves, and although they were offered compensation, travel to Britain was required to receive it which was impossible for many. Eventually, the Boers had had enough of British rule and decided to leave the Cape Colony in search of self-governance and new lands to farm. The Great Trek was about to begin.

The Trek Begins

Not all Afrikaners endorsed the Great Trek. In fact, only a fifth of the Cape’s Dutch-speaking people decided to take part. Most of the urbanized Dutch were actually content with British rule. Nevertheless, many Boers decided to leave. Thousands of Boers loaded up their wagons and proceeded to venture into the interior and towards peril.

The first wave of voortrekkers (pioneers) met with disaster. After setting out in September 1835, they crossed the Vaal River in January, 1836, and decided to split up, following differences between their leaders. Hans van Rensburg led a party of 49 settlers who trekked north into what is now Mozambique. His party was slain by an impi (force of warriors) of Soshangane. For van Rensburg and his party, the Great Trek was over. Only two children survived who were saved by a Zulu warrior. The other party of settlers, led by Louis Tregardt, settled near Delagoa Bay in southern Mozambique, where most of them perished from fever.

A third group led by Hendrik Potgieter, consisting of about 200 people, also ran into serious trouble. In August 1836, a Matabele patrol attacked Potgieter’s group, killing six men, two women, and six children. King Mzilikazi of the Matabele in what is now Zimbabwe decided to attack the Voortrekkers again, this time sending out an impi of 5,000 men. Local bushmen warned the Voortrekkers of the impi , and Potgieter had two days to prepare. He decided to prepare for battle, although doing so would leave all the Voortrekker’s cattle vulnerable.

The Voortrekkers arranged the wagons into a laager (defensive circle) and placed thorn branches underneath the wagons and in the gaps. Another defensive square of four wagons was placed inside the laager and covered with animal skins. Here, the women and children would be safe from spears thrown into the camp. The defenders numbered just 33 men and seven boys, each armed with two muzzle-loader rifles. They were outnumbered 150 to one.

As the battle commenced, the Voortrekkers rode out on horseback to harry the impi . This proved largely ineffective, and they withdrew to the laager. The attack on the laager only lasted for about half an hour, in which time, two Voortrekkers lost their lives, and about 400 Matabele warriors were killed or wounded. The Matabele were far more interested in taking the cattle and eventually made off with 50,000 sheep and goats and 5,000 cattle. Despite surviving through the day, the Battle of Vegkop was not a happy victory for the Voortrekkers. Three months later, with the help of the Tswana people, a Voortrekker-led raid managed to take back 6,500 cattle, which included some of the cattle plundered at Vegkop.

The following months saw revenge attacks led by the Voortrekkers. About 15 Matabele settlements were destroyed, and 1,000 warriors lost their lives. The Matabele abandoned the region. The Great Trek would continue with several other parties pioneering the way into the South African hinterland.

The Battle of Blood River

In February 1838, the Voortrekkers led by Piet Retief met with absolute disaster. Retief and his delegation were invited to the Zulu King Dingane ’s kraal (village) to negotiate a land treaty; however, Dingane betrayed the Voortrekkers. He had them all taken out to a hill outside the village and clubbed to death. Piet Retief was killed last so that he could watch his delegation being killed. In total, about 100 were murdered, and their bodies were left for the vultures and other scavengers.

Following this betrayal, King Dingane directed further attacks on unsuspecting Voortrekker settlements. This included the Weenen Massacre, in which 534 men, women, and children were slaughtered. This number includes KhoiKhoi and Basuto tribe members who accompanied them. Against a hostile Zulu nation, the Great Trek was doomed to fail.

The Voortrekkers decided to lead a punitive expedition, and under the guidance of Andries Pretorius, 464 men, along with 200 servants and two small cannons, prepared to engage the Zulu. After several weeks of trekking, Pretorius set up his laager along the Ncome River, purposefully avoiding geographic traps that would have led to a disaster in battle. His site offered protection on two sides by the Ncome River to the rear and a deep ditch on the left flank. The approach was treeless and offered no protection from any advancing attackers. On the morning of December 16, the Voortrekkers were greeted by the sight of six regiments of Zulu impis , numbering approximately 20,000 men.

For two hours, the Zulus attacked the laager in four waves, and each time they were repulsed with great casualties. The Voortrekkers used grapeshot in their muskets and their two cannons in order to maximize damage to the Zulus. After two hours, Pretorius ordered his men to ride out and attempt to break up the Zulu formations. The Zulus held for a while, but high casualties eventually forced them to scatter. With their army breaking, the Voortrekkers chased down and killed the fleeing Zulus for three hours. By the end of the battle, 3,000 Zulu lay dead (although historians dispute this number). By contrast, the Voortrekkers suffered only three injuries, including Andries Pretorius taking an assegai (Zulu spear) to the hand.

December 16 has been observed as a public holiday in the Boer Republics and South Africa ever since. It was known as The Day of the Covenant, The Day of the Vow, or Dingane’s Day. In 1995, after the fall of apartheid , the day was rebranded as “Day of Reconciliation.” Today the site on the west side of the Ncome River is home to the Blood River Monument and Museum Complex, while on the east side of the river stands the Ncome River Monument and Museum Complex dedicated to the Zulu people. The former has gone through many variations, with the latest version of the monument being 64 wagons cast in bronze. When it was unveiled in 1998, The then Minister of Home Affairs and Zulu tribal leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi , apologized on behalf of the Zulu people for the murder of Piet Retief and his party during the Great Trek, while he also stressed the suffering of Zulus during apartheid.

The Zulu defeat added to further divisions in the Zulu Kingdom, which was plunged into a civil war between Dingane and his brother Mpande. Mpande, supported by the Voortrekkers, won the civil war in January 1840. This led to a significant decrease in threats to the Voortrekkers. Andries Pretorius and his Voortrekkers were able to recover Piet Retief’s body, along with his retinue, and give them burials. On Retief’s body was found the original treaty offering the trekkers land, and Pretorius was able to successfully negotiate with the Zulu over the establishment of a territory for the Voortrekkers. The Republic of Natalia was established in 1839, south of the Zulu Kingdom. However, the new republic was short-lived and was annexed by the British in 1843.

Nevertheless, the Great Trek could continue, and thus the waves of Voortrekkers continued. In the 1850s, two substantial Boer republics were established: The Republic of the Transvaal and the Republic of the Orange Free State . These republics would later come into conflict with the expanding British Empire.

The Great Trek as a Cultural Symbol

In the 1940s, Afrikaner nationalists used the Great Trek as a symbol to unite the Afrikaans people and promote cultural unity among them. This move was primarily responsible for the National Party winning the 1948 election and, later on, imposing apartheid on the country.

South Africa is a highly diverse country, and while the Great Trek remains a symbol of Afrikaner culture and history, it is also seen as an important part of South African history with lessons to learn from for all South Africans.

6 Crazy Facts about Cape Town

By Greg Beyer BA History & Linguistics, Journalism Diploma Greg specializes in African History. He holds a BA in History & Linguistics and a Journalism Diploma from the University of Cape Town. A former English teacher, he now excels in academic writing and pursues his passion for art through drawing and painting in his free time.

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The Great Trek Facts & Worksheets

The great trek was the mass emigration of dutch, german and french huguenot (boers) colonizers of cape colony in south africa from cape colony towards the interior areas of the continent that took place from 1835 until 1840., search for worksheets, download the the great trek facts & worksheets.

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Table of Contents

The Great Trek was the mass emigration of Dutch, German and French Huguenot (Boers) colonizers of Cape colony in  South Africa from Cape Colony towards the interior areas of the continent that took place from 1835 until 1840. The trek was done as a form of resistance against the British government and as an attempt to live independently from British rule.

See the fact file below for more information on the Great Trek or alternatively, you can download our 25-page The Great Trek worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Leading to the great trek period.

• Boers were the Dutch, German and French Huguenots who were the first colonizers of Cape Colony. They arrived in the area during the early 1650s.
• The Boers disagreed with policies the British government implemented. Policies minimizing slavery of native Africans and land colonization for white settlement were some policies implemented that the Boers protested against.
• Boers believed that British authorities favored protecting the rights of native Africans instead of theirs. As a result, rebellions were staged against British authority and in 1815,  British authorities hanged 5 rebel Boers because they attempted to start an uprising against the British government for its bias towards African rights.
• The Boers believed that they would find land on the interior parts of the continent and be able to establish their own colonies that would be free from British rule.
• January 1832 Dr. Andrew Smith, a British zoologist sent to Cape Colony, and a Boer farmer went on an expedition to scout Natal as a potential colony. Natal, along with the other land areas in its radius, was portrayed as a promising area to colonize due to its topography and nearly complete absence of inhabitants.
• Around 12,0000 Boers of Cape Colony , predominantly the Dutch, decided to leave the area as a result of the rising tension with British authority
• The first group of Boers who left Cape Colony were recognized as Voortrekkers meaning early migrants. These Voortrekkers left Cape Colony in 1835 and migrated to the interior Highveld north of the Orange River. Their movement led them to be recognized as the pioneers of the mass emigration of the Boers from Cape Colony or The Great Trek.

THE GREAT TREK PERIOD

• Boers were emigrating from Cape Colony from 1835-1840.
• The Voortrekkers traveled by oxen-drawn wagons.
• Piet Retief, a prominent Voortrekker leader and commander, published a manifesto that stated reasons as to why the Boers were emigrating from Cape Colony. It  was published on February 1837 in  Grahamstown’s Journal
• Boers who left Cape Colony always traveled in groups consisting of families, servants, and livestock. They brought with them cases of water, dried food, clothing, some brought weapons such as spears and guns. These groups traveled under the guidance of a leader
• Some well-known leaders were Andries Potgieter, Gert Maritz, Piet Retief, and Piet Uys.
• The expedition was harsh not only because of the geographical obstacles such as the Orange and Vaal rivers that intercepted their path and the Limpopo river delta that was infested with Malarial Mosquitoes,  but also because of native African kingdoms they came in contact with such as the Zulus, Matebeles, and Xhosas. The Boers and leaders of African states disagreed about land ownership and settlement resulting in several battles.

BATTLES OF THE GREAT TREK PERIOD

• On October 20, 1836 as a group of Voortrekkers led by Hendrik Potgieter made their way out of the Tarka area, they were attacked by roughly 5,000  Ndebele warriors. Under the command of Potgieter, the Voortrekkers retreated and left their livestock, specifically their cattle, behind. This is known as the Battle of Vegkop.
• Piet Retief, one of the most important leaders of the Great Trek, struck a deal with with Dingane, the Zulu king, that stated that an area of land in Natal will be given to the Voortrekkers in exchange of Retief and his troops recovering the herd of cattle stolen by  Sekonyela (the chief of the Tlokwa). Despite agreement on the settlement, Dingane killed Retief and all of his comrades on February 1838
• April 1838, because of the massacre of Piet Retief and his group of trekkers, assistance from Piet Uys and Hendrik Potgieter were called for. Uys and Potgieter led their parties for battle against the Zulu to the capital of the Zulu king, Umgungundlovu. Potgieter’s troops retreated from the battlefield immediately, leaving Uys uncoordinated and alone. This led to their defeat. This is known as the Battle of Italeni.
• December 16, 1838, after several defeats from the Zulu kingdom and to end the disparity, Voortrekker forces led by Andries Pretorius entered Zululand. Positioned near the Ncome River, Pretorius’s troops were able to successfully attack the Zulu warriors. The Ncome river was red with the blood from Zulu warriors, coining the name Battle of Blood River.

The Great Trek Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Great Trek across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use The Great Trek worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Great Trek which was the mass emigration of Dutch, German and French Huguenot (Boers) colonizers of Cape colony in South Africa from Cape Colony towards the interior areas of the continent that took place from 1835 until 1840. The trek was done as a form of resistance against the British government and as an attempt to live independently from British rule.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

• The Great Trek Facts
• You’re Out of Here
• Backpacking Through Time
• The Ultimate Match
• You Give Me Meaning
• Lead the Way
• Get in Line
• The Outcome
• Compare and Contrast

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AP®︎ World History

Course: ap®︎ world history   >   unit 1, what is world history.

Interaction between humans and the environment: To understand this theme, historians might look at things like the rise of agriculture, the spread of disease, changing climates, or demographic changes.

Development and interaction of cultures: To understand this theme, historians might look at things like the emergence and spread of new religions, influence of different religions or cultural traditions on one another, and the spread of new ideas like humanism or human rights.

State building, expansion, and conflict: To understand this theme, historians might look at things like how different empires have risen and fallen, in which ways rulers have increased their legitimacy, and different kinds of conflicts between societies.

Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems: To understand this theme, historians might look at things like the Silk road, the emergence of global trade, the emergence of banking and systems of credit, and the rise of capitalism, communism, and globalization.

Development and transformation of social structures: To understand this theme, historians might look at things like the effects of specialization of labor, or how ideas about race, gender, and class have shaped social hierarchies.

The questions of World History

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to travel or migrate slowly or with difficulty, often through rough or unsettled territory: He managed to escape from a Siberian labor camp and trekked to Iran, a three-year journey.

to hike long distances as a recreational activity, especially over rough terrain: He's trekked through the Himalayas and summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.

to make a short but difficult trip on foot: We trekked back to our hotel in the pouring rain.

South Africa . to travel by ox wagon.

South Africa . (of a draft animal) to draw (a vehicle or load).

a slow or difficult journey, hike, or trip.

South Africa .

a migration or expedition, especially by ox wagon.

a stage of such a journey, between one stopping place and the next.

Origin of trek

Other words from trek.

• un·trekked, adjective

Words Nearby trek

• Treinta y Tres
• trelliswork

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use trek in a sentence

Writer Leath Tonino devised a 200-mile solo desert trek , following the path of the legendary cartographer who literally put these contentious canyons on the map.

So, we just made the decision to continue on with the trek , but to do it as conscientiously and as low-impact as possible.

He says that the team was able to show microbes would be able to survive the trek from Mars to Earth without shielding from the dangers of space if they clump together.

During their latest trek they checked these survey stakes and determined the speed with which the ice masses creep.

Until now, measuring these effects has required arduous treks through trackless swamps.

During his trek , Brinsley twice passed within a block of a police stationhouse and he almost certainly saw cops along the way.

The audience--tout Hollywood--stands to cheer his slow and painful trek from the wings to the table.

Overall, few travelers have made the trek into the desert of Sudan to see these architectural wonders.

In fact, some feminist critics have pointed to a long history of objectification in Star trek .

Horst Ulrich, a 72-year-old German on a trek with a group of friends, watched four Nepali guides swept away by an avalanche.

If his partner's impedimentia was not too bulky, the ancient model was ready for another trek to the hills.

The mountaineers, indeed, suffered less than the townsfolk as being more accustomed than they to conditions of trek and battle.

The cool morning air made it bearable for man and beast to trek .

By the third day of their trek southward along the Great River, the soles of Redbird's moccasins had worn through.

Once more was there a cracking of whips, and the oxen, straightening out along the trek -touw (Note 3), moved reluctantly on.

British Dictionary definitions for trek

/ ( trɛk ) /

a long and often difficult journey

Southern African a journey or stage of a journey, esp a migration by ox wagon

(intr) to make a trek

(tr) Southern African (of an ox, etc) to draw (a load)

Derived forms of trek

• trekker , noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Oregon Trail

By: History.com Editors

Updated: August 10, 2022 | Original: December 6, 2017

The Oregon Trail was a roughly 2,000-mile route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, that was used by hundreds of thousands of American pioneers in the mid-1800s to emigrate west. The trail was arduous and snaked through Missouri and present-day Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and finally into Oregon. Without the Oregon Trail and the passing of the Oregon Donation Land Act in 1850, which encouraged settlement in the Oregon Territory, American pioneers would have been slower to settle the American West in the 19th century.

Missionaries Blaze the Oregon Trail

By the 1840s, the Manifest Destiny had Americans in the East eager to expand their horizons. While Lewis and Clark had made their way west from 1804 to 1806, merchants, traders and trappers were also among the first people to forge a path across the Continental Divide.

But it was missionaries who really blazed the Oregon Trail. Merchant Nathaniel Wyeth in 1834 led the first religious group, in addition to traders and naturalists, west to present-day Idaho , where they built an outpost.

Marcus Whitman

Determined to spread Christianity to American Indians on the frontier, doctor and Protestant missionary Marcus Whitman set out on horseback from the Northeast in 1835 to prove that the westward trail to Oregon could be traversed safely and further than ever before.

Whitman’s first attempt took him as far the Green River Rendezvous, a meeting place for fur trappers and traders in the Rocky Mountains near present-day Daniel, Wyoming . Upon returning home, Whitman married and set out again, this time with his young wife Narcissa and another Protestant missionary couple.

The party made it to the Green River Rendezvous, then faced a grueling journey along Native American trails across the Rockies using Hudson Bay Company trappers as guides. They finally reached Fort Vancouver, Washington , and built missionary posts nearby—Whitman’s post was at Waiilatpu amid the Cayuse Indians.

Whitman’s small party had proved both men and women could travel west, although not easily. Narcissa’s accounts of the journey were published in the East and slowly more missionaries and settlers followed their path which became known as the Whitman Mission Route.

In 1842, the Whitman mission was closed by the American Missionary Board, and Whitman went back to the East on horseback where he lobbied for continued funding of his mission work. In the meantime, missionary Elijah White led over 100 pioneers across the Oregon Trail.

Great Emigration of 1843

When Whitman headed west yet again, he met up with a huge wagon train destined for Oregon. The group included 120 wagons, about 1,000 people and thousands of livestock. Their trek began on May 22 and lasted five months.

It effectively opened the floodgates of pioneer migration along the Oregon Trail and became known as the Great Emigration of 1843 .

Upon Whitman’s return to his mission, his main goal shifted from converting American Indians to assisting white settlers. As more settlers arrived, the Cayuse resisted their encroachment.

After a measles epidemic broke out in 1847, the Cayuse population was decimated, despite Whitman using his medical knowledge to help them.

In the ongoing conflict, Whitman, his wife and some of the mission staff were killed; many more were taken hostage for over a month. The incident sparked a seven-year war between the Cayuse and the federal government.

Life on the Oregon Trail

Planning a five- to six-month trip across rugged terrain was no easy task and could take up to a year. Emigrants had to sell their homes, businesses and any possessions they couldn’t take with them. They also had to purchase hundreds of pounds of supplies including flour, sugar, bacon, coffee, salt, rifles and ammunition.

By far, the most important item for successful life on the trail was the covered wagon. It had to be sturdy enough to withstand the elements yet small and light enough for a team of oxen or mules to pull day after day.

Most wagons were about six feet wide and twelve feet long. They were usually made of seasoned hardwood and covered with a large, oiled canvas stretched over wood frames. In addition to food supplies, the wagons were laden with water barrels, tar buckets and extra wheels and axles.

Contrary to popular belief, most of the wagons that journeyed the Oregon Trail were prairie schooners and not larger, heavier Conestoga wagons .

Oregon Trail Route

It was critical for travelers to leave in April or May if they hoped to reach Oregon before the winter snows began. Leaving in late spring also ensured there’d be ample grass along the way to feed livestock.

As the Oregon Trail gained popularity, it wasn’t unusual for thousands of pioneers to be on the path at the same time, especially during the California Gold Rush . Depending on the terrain, wagons traveled side by side or single file.

There were slightly different paths for reaching Oregon but, for the most part, settlers crossed the Great Plains until they reached their first trading post at Fort Kearny, Nebraska , averaging between ten and fifteen miles per day.

From Fort Kearney, they followed the Platte River over 600 miles to Fort Laramie, Wyoming , and then ascended the Rocky Mountains where they faced hot days and cold nights. Summer thunderstorms were common and made traveling slow and treacherous.

Independence Rock

The settlers gave a sigh of relief if they reached Independence Rock —a huge granite rock in Wyoming that marked the halfway point of their journey—by July 4 because it meant they were on schedule. So many people added their name to the rock it became known as the “Great Register of the Desert.”

After leaving Independence Rock, settlers climbed the Rocky Mountains to the South Pass. Then they crossed the desert to Fort Hall , the second trading post.

From there they navigated Snake River Canyon and a steep, dangerous climb over the Blue Mountains before moving along the Columbia River to the settlement of The Dalles and finally to Oregon City. Some people continued south into California , especially after the Gold Rush started in 1849.

Dangers on the Oregon Trail

Many settlers looked at the Oregon Trail with an idealistic eye, but it was anything but romantic. According to the Oregon California Trails Association , almost one in ten who embarked on the trail didn’t survive.

Most people died of diseases such as dysentery, cholera , smallpox or flu , or in accidents caused by inexperience, exhaustion and carelessness. It was not uncommon for people to be crushed beneath wagon wheels or accidentally shot to death, and many people drowned during perilous river crossings.

Travelers often left warning messages to those journeying behind them if there was an outbreak of disease, bad water or hostile Native American tribes nearby. As more and more settlers headed west, the Oregon Trail became a well-beaten path and an abandoned junkyard of surrendered possessions. It also became a graveyard for tens of thousands of pioneer men, women, children and countless livestock.

Over time, conditions along the Oregon Trail improved. Bridges and ferries were built to make water crossings safer. Settlements and additional supply posts appeared along the way which gave weary travelers a place to rest and regroup.

Trail guides wrote guidebooks, so settlers no longer had to bring an escort with them on their journey. Unfortunately, however, not all the books were accurate and left some settlers lost and in danger of running out of provisions.

The End of the Oregon Trail

With the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in Utah in 1869, westward wagon trains decreased significantly as settlers chose the faster and more reliable mode of transportation.

Still, as towns were established along the Oregon Trail, the route continued to serve thousands of emigrants with “gold fever” on their way to California. It was also a main thoroughfare for massive cattle drives between 1866 and 1888.

By 1890, the railroads had all but eliminated the need to journey thousands of miles in a covered wagon. Settlers from the east were more than happy to hop on a train and arrive in the West in one week instead of six months.

Although modern progress ended the need for the Oregon Trail, its historical significance could not be ignored. The National Park Service created the Oregon National Historic Trail in 1981 and continues to educate the public on its importance.

READ MORE:  Manifest Destiny

Life and Death on the Oregon Trail: Provisions for Births and Lethal Circumstances. Oregon California Trails Association. Marcus Whitman (1802-1847) Narcissa Whitman (1808-1847). PBS New Perspectives on the West. Oregon Donation Land Act. The Oregon Encyclopedia. Oregon or Bust. Arizona Geographic Alliance. Oregon Trail. The Oregon Encyclopedia. Trail Basics: The Starting Point. National Oregon California Trail Center. Trail Basics: The Wagon. National Oregon California Trail Center. Where did the Oregon Trail Go? Reaching Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Oregon California Trails Association. Washington: Whitman Mission National Historic Site. National Park Service.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: the mirror universe's history explained.

The Mirror Universe is one of Star Trek's best concepts. Here's the Mirror Universe's chronological history from Enterprise, TOS, DS9, and Discovery.

The Mirror Universe is one of Star Trek' s most intriguing concepts. The franchise has wisely used the Mirror Universe sparingly since it was introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series so that each appearance is an event. The alternate reality where nearly every beloved Star Trek character is the opposite of who they are in the Prime Universe has spanned TOS, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: Enterprise, and Star Trek: Discovery . The Mirror Universe is also very different from the Kelvin timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies, which diverges from the Prime timeline at a fixed point in the 23rd century.

The history of the Mirror Universe runs parallel to the Prime Universe's because both realities co-exist in the same space but in a different dimensional plane. The variances between people from the Prime and Mirror Universes are primarily cultural, with the Mirror counterparts hewing towards malevolence and bigotry. However, there is also at least one distinct physical difference between the two universes: When the USS Discovery was trapped in the Mirror Universe during  Star Trek: Discovery season 1 , Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) noticed that "the cosmos has lost its brilliance" in the alternate reality. Burnham didn't just mean metaphorically; the Mirror version of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) needed eye drops due to his photosensitivity to the light in the Prime Universe. While  Star Trek 's Prime timeline has its share of difficulties, every visit to the Mirror Universe confirms that it's an absolutely terrible place in comparison.

Related: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Can Solve Pike's Mirror Universe Mystery

In the Mirror Universe, instead of the United Federation of Planets, humanity formed the Terran Empire and successfully conquered the Alpha Quadrant in the 22nd and 23rd centuries. Thanks to the USS Discovery crossing over to the Mirror Universe and back in 2257, both the Federation and the Terran Empire knew of each other's existence but suppressed this information to prevent further crossovers. The Mirror Universe's Terran Empire was ruled by an Emperor and its Starfleet subjugated most of the other races including Vulcans , Andorians, Tellarites, Orions, and Denobulans. While Federation starships are designated USS (for United Starship), in the Mirror Universe, Terran vessels carry the designation ISS (Imperial Starship). However, the Terran Empire collapsed by the 24th century and was overrun by their enemies, the Klingons and the Cardassians, which formed an alliance along with other worlds like Bajor.

The most iconic symbol of the Mirror Universe remains the Mirror Spock (Leonard Nimoy) who sported a goatee and represents its obvious differences. Indeed, this alternate version of the Vulcan is a pivotal figure in the Mirror Universe's canon because it was under his watch that the Terran Empire ultimately fell for good. The history of the  Star Trek  Mirror Universe does unfold confusingly since fans experienced it starting with TOS, and then DS9 picked up the story in the 24th century before Star Trek: Enterprise jumped backward 200 years with a prequel tale. Star Trek: Discovery season 1 then returned to the Mirror Universe a decade before TOS before it jumped to the 32nd century and filled in some details of what became of the Mirror Universe in the last 800 years. For clarity's sake, here is what happened in the Mirror Universe chronologically from before First Contact with the Vulcans to what is known about the alternate reality in the year 3189.

How The Terran Empire Rose To Power

On the Mirror Universe's Earth, history unfolded in a mostly identical fashion as in the Prime Universe, except the human race embraced war and fascism as a means to solve problems. Mirror Earth's history involved nations going to war , with the strong overcoming the weak, until the pivotal date of April 5, 2063. This was the day of First Contact with the Vulcans, who landed in Boseman, Montana after Zephram Cochrane (James Cromwell) became the first human to achieve warp flight.

However, instead of a peaceful meeting as had occurred in the Prime Universe, which fans saw in Star Trek: First Contact , in the Mirror Universe, Cochrane immediately executed the Vulcan visitor with a shotgun, believing this was the first step of an alien invasion of Earth. (Cochrane's shotgun later came to be owned by the Mirror Jonathan Archer.) Cochrane's people then raided the starship and executed the other Vulcans aboard. With Vulcan technology, the human race took to the stars, establishing the Terran Empire within the next century. The Terrans conquered and enslaved many of the other races in the Alpha Quadrant, and the xenophobic human-led empire lasted for almost 300 years.

Related: Star Trek: Discovery Reveals What Happened To Vulcan In The 32nd Century

The Mirror Universe In Star Trek: Enterprise (22nd Century)

In 2155, Commander Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) mutinied against his Captain, Maximillian Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong), and took command of the Terran Empire's flagship, the ISS Enterprise. Archer's scheme involved taking the Enterprise into Tholian space to retrieve the USS Defiant (NCC-1764), a Constitution-class starship that time-traveled from the 23rd-century Prime Universe to the 22nd-century Mirror Universe in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Tholian Web" (unrelated to the USS Defiant, NX-74205, featured prominently in  DS9 ).

With the Terran Empire in danger of losing a war against its many enemies, Archer's ambition was to use the far more powerful Defiant from the alternate reality to stage a coup where he would become the new Terran Emperor. Although the Enterprise (and Captain Forrest) was destroyed by the Tholians, Archer succeeded in commandeering the Defiant. However, Archer was betrayed and killed by his mistress, Hoshi Sato (Linda Park). Sato then took command of the Defiant and completed Archer's coup, declaring herself Empress at the end of Star Trek: Enterprise 's two-parter "In A Mirror, Darkly."

The Mirror Universe In Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 (23rd Century)

100 years later, Star Trek: Discovery season 1's Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) revealed himself to be a Terran from the Mirror Universe and he used the starship's spore displacement hub drive to return to the alternate reality. However, he wanted Michael Burnham to help him stage a coup to dethrone the Terran Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery posed as their Mirror Universe counterparts in order to survive being trapped in the parallel dimension.

By 2257, the Terran Empire was the dominant power in the Alpha Quadrant and, under Georgiou's leadership, the humans conquered the Klingons, although a band of alien races formed a rebel alliance against the Terrans. Georgiou also knew about the Prime Universe and the Federation because she had access to the USS Defiant's data files. But Georgiou's gravest threat was Lorca, who nearly succeeded in his coup. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery 's four-part saga in the Mirror Universe, Lorca was killed and Georgiou's reign was ended, but Michael Burnham brought the evil doppelgänger of her late Captain Georgiou back with her to the Prime Universe.

Related: Star Trek Discovery Theory: What Section 31 Did To Emperor Georgiou

Emperor Georgiou posed as her Prime Universe counterpart and helped end the Klingon War of 2256-2257 before joining Section 31. In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Georgiou helped the USS   Discovery and the USS Enterprise defeat the rogue A.I. called Control that took over Section 31 and tried to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy. Out of loyalty to Burnham, Emperor Georgiou traveled with the Discovery 930 years into the future, permanently leaving the 23rd century behind.

The Mirror Universe In Star Trek: The Original Series (23rd Century)

Star Trek: TOS ' "Mirror, Mirror" was the first appearance of the Mirror Universe that started it all. Chronologically set a decade after Emperor Georgiou traveled to the Prime Universe, a transporter accident switched the Prime Universe's Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and three of his officers with their Mirror Universe counterparts. While USS Enterprise's Spock quickly imprisoned the evil duplicates of his crewmates, aboard the ISS Enterprise , Kirk had to navigate the dangerous political waters of the Terran Empire, where assassinating your superior officers and rivals is the key to advancement and power.

As Kirk grasped the profound differences between the two universes, he realized that the goateed Mirror Spock harbored grave doubt about the longevity of a fascist regime like the Terran Empire, which was doomed to totally collapse within 240 years. Before switching back to his proper universe, Kirk challenged the Mirror Spock to do what he could to change the destiny of the Terran Empire.

In the greater context of the overall Mirror Universe's history, Star Trek: Discovery season 2 revealed that the Prime Universe's Spock already knew what the Mirror Universe was thanks to his adopted sister Michael Burnham's experiences and from meeting Emperor Georgiou. As part of his lifelong pact never to reveal the truth about Burnham or the Discovery , Spock's swift and decisive actions when he meets Mirror Kirk become recontextualized since the Vulcan knew precisely where this evil version of his Captain came from.

Related: Star Trek: Discovery Retcons Spock In Mirror Universe Episode

The Mirror Universe on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (24th Century)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine continued the story of the Mirror Universe for five episodes over the course of its seven seasons. In the first Mirror Universe episode, "Crossover," Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) accidentally traveled to the alternate reality of the 24th century, where they learned that the Terran Empire was conquered by an alliance led by the Klingons and Cardassians. The Mirror Spock did take over the Terran Empire a century prior, but in his bid to lead the Terrans toward peace, they became vulnerable and were overrun by their alien enemies. Terrans are now slaves in the 24th century fighting a rebellion against the Klingons and Cardassians. Ironically, whereas Spock's legacy was the reunification of the Vulcans and Romulans in the Prime Universe, the Mirror Spock's attempt at nobility caused the demise of the mighty Terran Empire.

DS9 's Mirror Universe saga was intensive, with characters crossing over into both universes, and the action revolved around the Deep Space Nine space station, which was still known as Terok Nor in the Mirror Universe. In "Through the Looking Glass," Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) had to briefly replace his dead counterpart who was the leader of the Terran resistance in the Mirror Universe. Meanwhile, "Smiley," the Mirror Miles O'Brien, emerged as a central character of DS9 's Mirror Universe story; Smiley not only recruited the Prime Sisko, but he also stole the plans for the USS Defiant  from Deep Space Nine so that the Terran rebels could have a warship of their own.

Word of the Mirror Universe eventually reached the Ferengi Alliance and Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn) jumped to the Mirror Universe in order to open up business opportunities. Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Terrans' main enemy was the Klingon and Cardassian Alliance's Regent, who turned out to be Worf (Michael Dorn). The Regent was eventually overthrown by the rebels in DS9 's final Mirror Universe installment, "The Emperor's New Cloak." However, DS9' s Mirror Universe story remained unfinished and left off with the Terran rebels still fighting to bring down the Klingon and Cardassian Alliance. This was the last and furthest chronological point Trekkers have seen of the Mirror Universe, since Star Trek: Discovery season 3 jumped centuries past it into the 32nd century.

The State Of The Mirror Universe In Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 (32nd Century)

Star Trek: Discovery season 3 brought the crew of the eponymous starship, including Emperor Georgiou, to the year 3189, where they reunited with what was left of the United Federation of Planets . At Starfleet Headquarters, Georgiou was personally debriefed by a mystery man named Kovich (David Cronenberg), who is likely an agent of the 32nd century's Section 31 and was uniquely interested in the time-displaced Terran Emperor. During their meeting, Kovich updated Georgiou, who knew nothing of the events seen in Star Trek Deep Space Nine, on the state of the Mirror Universe. The Starfleet agent revealed that the distance between the Mirror Universe and the Prime Universe had been increasing for centuries, which has prevented crossovers. In fact, no one had jumped from either reality for 500 years.

Kovich also informed Georgiou of the fact that the Terran Empire that she once ruled collapsed centuries ago, although he didn't specify the Mirror Spock's central role in its demise. Starfleet then claimed that they identified a chimeric strain on the subatomic level in the Terran stem cell, which explains the Terran predisposition towards malevolence, although Georgiou dismissed the notion. However, immediately after her debriefing with Kovich, Emperor Georgiou began suffering debilitating traumatic flashbacks of her past in the Mirror Universe . What this ultimately means for the Emperor and whether fans will learn more about the fate of the Mirror Universe remains to be seen in Star Trek: Discovery .

Next: Star Trek: Discovery Theory: Mirror Michael Killed Emperor Georgiou's Son

1849 (n.) "a stage of a journey by ox wagon;" 1850 (v.), "to travel or migrate by ox wagon," from Afrikaans trek , from Dutch trekken "to march, journey," originally "to draw, pull," from Middle Dutch trecken (cognate with Middle Low German trecken , Old High German trechan "to draw"). Especially in reference to the Groot Trek (1835 and after) of more than 10,000 Boers, who, discontented with the English colonial authorities, left Cape Colony and went north and north-east. In general use as a noun by 1941. Related: Trekked ; trekking .

Entries linking to trek

late 15c., "footprint, mark left by anything," from Old French trac "track of horses, trace" (mid-15c.), possibly from a Germanic source (compare Middle Low German treck , Dutch trek "drawing, pulling;" see trek ). Meaning "lines of rails for drawing trains" is from 1805. Meaning "branch of athletics involving a running track" is recorded from 1905. Meaning "single recorded item" is from 1904, originally in reference to phonograph records. Meaning "mark on skin from repeated drug injection" is first attested 1964.

Track record (1955) is a figurative use from racing, "performance history" of an individual car, runner, horse, etc. (1907, but the phrase was more common in sense "fastest speed recorded at a particular track"). To make tracks "move quickly" is American English colloquial first recorded 1835; to cover (one's) tracks in the figurative sense first attested 1898; to keep track of something is attested from 1883. American English wrong side of the tracks "bad part of town" is by 1901. Track lighting attested from 1970.

"one who treks," 1851, agent noun from trek (v.).

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The History and Evolution of Trek Bicycles: A Legacy of Innovation

In the world of biking, Trek is a name that stands out. With its innovative designs and advanced technologies, Trek has been revolutionizing cycling since 1976. It was founded by Richard Burke and Bevil Hogg, who combined their engineering expertise with a desire to create the best bicycles in the world. Since then, Trek Bicycles has steadily risen to become one of the most well-known and respected bike brands around.

Trek’s story began in Waterloo, Wisconsin in 1976. Richard Burke had been working as an engineer at a local bike shop when he was approached by Bevil Hogg with the idea of starting their own company. After prototyping and testing their first model, they began production in 1977. The bikes were an immediate success, with customers praising them for their light weight, performance, and comfort.

As Trek grew, it quickly became known for its pioneering spirit. In 1983, it released the first mountain bike ever made from aluminum alloy—the Trek 980. This was followed by other early innovations such as carbon fiber forks (1987), full suspension frames (1988), cantilever brakes (1989), and disc brakes (1994). With each new product release, Trek further cemented its reputation as an industry leader.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Trek continued to innovate and develop even more cutting-edge technologies to enhance performance and safety on the roads and trails. Electronic shifting systems such as Di2 (2004) allowed cyclists to shift gears instantly; active suspension systems like IsoSpeed (2012) provided a smoother ride; wireless connectivity systems like ANT+ (2003) allowed riders to track their progress in real time.

Today, Trek is still pushing boundaries with its latest lineup of bikes that feature groundbreaking designs and technologies. From full-suspension downhill rigs to ultra-lightweight road machines to comfortable commuting hybrids—there’s something for everyone at Trek. Whether you’re an avid competitive cyclist or a casual weekend rider looking for some fun on two wheels, there’s no doubt that you can find something perfect for you.

For over four decades now, Trek has been redefining what it means to be a top-of-the-line bicycle company. By continually striving to produce top-notch products and implementing cutting-edge technologies into all its models, Trek has become one of the most well-recognized names in cycling today—a true legacy of innovation.

To explore more on Trek Bicycles , visit official website today!

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Meaning of trek in English

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• walk The baby has just learned to walk.
• stride She strode purposefully up to the desk and demanded to speak to the manager.
• march He marched right in to the office and demanded to see the governor.
• stroll We strolled along the beach.
• wander She wandered from room to room, not sure of what she was looking for.
• amble She ambled down the street, looking in shop windows.
• backpacking
• bushwalking
• footslogging
• hoof it idiom
• ultra-distance

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trek | American Dictionary

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multitasking

a person's or product's ability to do more than one thing at a time

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