It really was mainly sheer stupidity. They got sold on over here is so much better and everything is honey and milk all the free land you could possibly have (wink wink) its. They could not fact check that it was wrong and that single individuals with guns were claiming millions of acres of the good land also don't forget the allure of Gold oooo. In reality most people in America thought it was a stupid endeavor as society would naturally push to make that easier to go over which it did in a short time making the massive death toll pointless. Mainly immigrants, cattle folk, and adventure seeker went on the trail really not understanding what it held till they got there.