The Santa Fe trail connected Missouri with New Mexico in a long transportation route. It was an important highway for the exchange of goods between these regions, as well as Mexican territory, until the introduction of the railroad in 1880.
The route crossed the territory of the Comanches, who also benefitted from trade, providing them with various goods, such as horses. However, this busy trading route contributed to the decline of the American bison, which in turn was devastating for the Comanche people.
