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Donner Party Research Paper

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The Donner Party “Starvation was so bad that cannibalism became stylish.” ~Lou Dunst Cannibalism was becoming very stylish for everyone that joined the Donner Party on their trip through the mountains to California, where they got stranded in the Sierra Nevadas when winter hit because they decided to take a shortcut. Just because it is a shortcut, does not mean it is shorter. The Donner Party was a group of 90 emigrants that decided to travel from Springfield, Illinois to California in April of 1846. They were already behind schedule for leaving because it was so late in the season, so they decided to take a short cut. The terrain was rough and the weather was getting worse as they walked. The snow was already falling and the rocks were covered in ice, creating many problems for the oxen and caravans (History). There were 12 families in total and some individuals (History), so most …show more content…

31, 20 days earlier” (Dowd). During the time “The Forlorn Hope” was away, William Foster had found two almost dead indians in the snow and shot them for more food. Those two were the only two people murdered for food in the entire trip (Andrews). Out of the 90 emigrants that started the trip, only about half of them survived through the winter and made it to California when the snow thawed (History). “Pioneer Monument, built in 1918, is standing at the lake dedicated to the party.” They passed that lake on their way to California to get water (Encyclopedia). The image on the right is the two paths going to California. The green one is the normal path should have been taken. The red is the so called shortcut that the Donner Party did take. So in the end the Donner party was stuck in the mountains for about five months (“Donner”). The shortcut had not worked out the way they planned it, many had died, and history had been born. Just because it is a shortcut, does not mean it is

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