What is the history of the Santa Fe Trail? From 1821 until 1846, the Santa Fe Trail was a two-way international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders. Then, in 1846, the Mexican-American War began, and a few months later, America’s Army of the West followed the Santa Fe Trail westward to successfully invade Mexico.

The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, who departed from the Boonslick region along the Missouri River, the trail served as a vital commercial highway until 1880, when the railroad arrived in Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe Trail was essentially abandoned during the Mexican War and the Civil War, but later continued to be an important trade artery until it was superseded by the Santa Fe Railroad in 1880. The trail had played a vital role in integrating the Southwest into the American economy.