The Santa Fe Trail In the 1800s, many trails crossed the American West, and one of these was the Santa Fe Trail. Unlike most trails at the time, it was used mainly for trading. Other trails were used by settlers going to make a new life in the West.

For a while, Spain ruled the area around Santa Fe. The Spanish prohibited trade with the United States. However, after Mexico gained its freedom from Spain, trade between Mexico and the United States began. In 1821, William Becknell made a trip from Missouri to Santa Fe to trade. This was the first of many trips along the trail. The next year he came back with a wagon train full of goods. At its peak, the trail carried more than 2,000 wagons a year.

The trail was about 780 miles long, and it took 40 to 60 days to reach Santa Fe from Missouri. The trail followed the Arkansas River and then split into two paths. The first path went with the river to Bent’s Fort in Colorado and then turned south through a mountain pass to reach Santa Fe.

The second path went southwest to New Mexico and crossed the desert to Santa Fe. This path was shorter and easier for wagon trains to follow. It did not go through mountains like the first route. The desert was riskier, however, because travelers could run out of water in the desert.

A map is shown titled The Santa Fe Trail, 1850. The map shows the state borders, rivers, and towns around New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. The Santa Fe Trail is shown as a line that travels between the lower left portion of the map, at Santa Fe in northeastern New Mexico, and the upper right portion of the map, in western Missouri, by way of Kansas and Colorado.

The Pecos Pueblo
One of the last places the trail passed through was the Pecos Pueblo, which was a group of ruins. Some of the ruins were from an ancient settlement. Others were the remains of old Spanish missions. Stories about these ruins told of lost gold.

Like Santa Fe, the Pecos Pueblo was a trade center. The site was just right for trade because it linked the farming areas of the Rio Grande valley with the hunting areas of the plains. Around A. D. 800, many tribes came to trade, and they brought items such as buffalo hides, shells, pottery, and food.

Because of its value as a trading center, the Pecos Pueblo grew in size. About 2,000 people lived at the site between the years 1450 and 1600. They stayed in large buildings that were four or five stories high. They climbed ladders up to each floor, and these ladders could be pulled inside for safety.

The Arrival of the Spanish
In the early 1500s, Spanish explorers came upon the Pecos Pueblo. When the native people met the Spanish, they told them stories about a place called Quivera. This was a city to the east that was supposed to be made of gold. More than likely, they told this story so the Spanish would go look for it and leave them alone. Their idea worked, because the Spanish left to search for the lost city of gold. Of course, they never found it.

By the end of the 1500s, more Spanish had arrived. The Pecos Pueblo changed hands a number of times. While the Spanish were in control, they built a great church. This church did not survive for long, but another was built later. What is left of this church makes up the most impressive ruins at the site.

As the site kept changing hands, the people living there moved away because they were tired of the unrest. In 1838, the last people packed up and left. For most of the time the Santa Fe Trail was used, the Pecos Pueblo was a desert ruin.

The Santa Fe Trail was not used much after 1880. Once a railroad linked Santa Fe with other major trading cities, the trail was no longer needed.

Today, the trail attracts tourists instead of traders. Some people still study the trail to understand how it was used, and a small group of people even travel the trail each year as a way to honor its history.

The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A
Read the sentence from the passage.

The desert was riskier, however, because travelers could run out of water in the desert.

Which word is an antonym of riskier?

A.
better

B.
easier

C.
safer

D.
wider

Part B
Which sentence from the passage best supports your answer in Part A?

A.
"This was the first of many trips along the trail."

B.
“The trail followed the Arkansas River and then split into two paths.”

C.
“It did not go through mountains like the first route.”

D.
“Some of the ruins were from an ancient settlement."