The Donner Party Research Paper

The Donner Party is a tragic story about eighty-seven people going on a journey leaving only forty-six surviving. The main originator of this group was a man named James Reed. Reed had recently read the book The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California by Landsford W. Hastings who proposed a new shortcut across the Great Basin. This route appealed to travelers because it would save them 350-400 miles on a terrain. However, Reed did not know that the Hastings Route had never been tested. The information given was false that would lead the Donner Party to doom. Reed quickly found others that were willing to try the new short cut which where the Donner Family, Graves, Breens, Murphys, Eddys, McCutcheons, Kesebergs, and the Wolfingers, seven teamsters, and a number of bachelors. Most people’s goal for the trip was fortune and adventure. There was a lack of preparations for this trip. They seemed more focused on comfort then they where for their necessities. For example, Reed’s wagon was a fancy two-story wagon with a built-in iron stove, spring-cushioned seats and bunks for sleeping. Reed’s 12 year old daughter Virginia named it "The Pioneer Palace Car.” Instead of Reed focusing on extra food and medicine he put his focus on comfort items.
The tragedies of the Donner Party are extensive.
Eliza P. Donner had many devastating quotes on how tragic the Donner Party was to her as a child. For example, she made a very sorrowful remark on her Father‘s death during the Donner Party, “I have been sad, oh!… It is still hard for me to realize he is dead. How generous, noble, and good he was…” She also made a very depressing statement on how hard her childhood was during that time, “And I, a child then, scarcely four years of age, was too young to do more than watch and suffer with other children the lesser privations of our snow-beleaguered camp; and with them survive, because the fathers and mothers hungered in order that the children might
live.” They made many attempts to rescue the people of the Donner Party. However, the process to attempt to rescue them was very time consuming and the Donner Party was running out of time. They would have to start by raising enough money to get the supplies needed and get enough brave men up to the challenge. However, as they would begin traveling many men would quit. Daniel Rhoads recounted their first encounter with the snowbound party. He was very touched when he saw some women to help: "We crossed Truckee [Donner] Lake on the ice and came to the spot where we had been told we should find the emigrants. We looked all around but no living thing except ourselves was in sight and we thought that all must have perished. We raised a loud several others made their appearance in like manner coming out of the snow. They were gaunt with famine and I never can forget the horrible, ghastly sight they presented. The first woman spoke in a hollow voice very much agitated & said 'are your men from California or do you come from heaven.'" The final rescue was difficult but ended up successful. However, they only saved forty-six. The character and personality of every person involved in the Donner Party was changed. Loving care and tenderness was strongly showed afterward. Everyone rescued was starved, frail, and depressed from losing his or her loved ones. Even the rescuers felt pain for them. The Donner Party is a very terrible tragedy that has happened in our world.