July 24 is the day the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake valley in the United States. Genealogist James Tanner recently recorded a video for the BYU Family History Library, titled Crossing the Plains: Researching American Pioneers. This video covers the Oregon Trail, Mexican War, Mormon Trail, California Gold Rush, and much more.

A link to the video is included below for your convenience.

Additional Resources

You can learn more about researching American pioneers and migration in Goal F1 of the Family History Guide, as well as in the Vault section of the website.

Happy Pioneer Day! Let’s remember that our ancestors were pioneers in many ways, wherever they lived and whatever their life’s work was.