Product Details

• Directors: Steve Boettcher, Mike Trinklein
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1996
• Run Time: 66 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1883691028
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,438 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal, 1993

"...one doesn't just hear about the Oregon Trail, one actually makes the trip... highly recommended."

Booklist, 1993

"...an absorbing journey into American history."

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is more of a historical factual acct., October 20, 2001

By 

sharon (Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of the Oregon Trail [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is very informative for "the facts only" but it barely covers the emotional and the heavy burdens of sadness and turmoil that women and children went through on the Oregon Trail. As a woman I am interested in the women's lives on the trail. This was from the point of view of men and barely if at all covered how women functioned and cooked and cleaned (with what?) on the trail. They just said where the trail started and finished and such without the real emotional parts that I wanted to hear.
It is neat however that we got to go on the trail as it shows it from beginning to end. I know what the trail looked like now. It just was lacking something more is all.
:)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Learning Film, March 28, 2007

By 

Mischelle C. Keyser "Mischelle" (Pilot Rock, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of the Oregon Trail [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I showed this video to my fourth grade class. Their attention was held the whole time! There were three parts in which I warned them would be kind of disturbing but there were no visuals for these parts so it made it easier to not make a big deal out of it. The first item was the mention of drinking urine to survive. The second was a child's head was crushed under a wheel(no visual). And the third was using buffalo dung for various things. Other than those three things it was an informative and entertaining video about the Oregon Trail.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful History Film, February 12, 2008

By 

E.J. "E.J." - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of the Oregon Trail [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film follows in the footsteps of the frontier emigrants by taking you from the port towns to the Willamette Valley and giving you a first hand account of what the journey was like. The film begins with a good introduction - giving you a little pre-Oregon Trail history of Westward exploration and expansion, as well as the reasons for emigrating west and the benefits of doing so. I found this to be important and interesting information. Then, as the film proceeds from landmark to landmark east to west, important questions are raised. What type of wagon, draft animals, and supplies would be needed for their journey and what was the best time to leave? What was it like to sleep, cook, or even hold a funeral on the prairie? What were the dangers that faced the pioneers? How did they react upon seeing their very first buffalo or Indian? Facts and stories given by interviewed historians and readings from actual journals and diaries give us answers. Beautiful paintings combined with live footage of the historical sites, along with sound effects, give the viewer a feast for the eyes and ears. And all the while the narrator's voice keeps you eager to hear more. I recommend it.