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Sea Travel Gave A Seasonal Edge
- Sea routes gave travelers a months-long head start because ships could leave before spring thaw.
- Overland parties had to wait for grass for oxen, delaying departures until spring.
Jesse Fremont's Perilous Panama Crossing
- Jesse Fremont crossed Panama in 1849 with an infant to reunite with her husband in California.
- She endured rain, extreme heat, snakes, rats, mosquitoes, malaria and yellow fever on the isthmus journey.
Overland Journey Was As Dangerous As The Sea
- Overland migrants faced months of monotony, dust, flooded rivers, disease, and violence from exhausted companions.
- Human selfishness sometimes led travelers to sabotage others to secure grazing and claims ahead.