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The Donner Party

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Introduction In America, many individuals like to eat. Devouring decadent dishes like steak and potatoes, shrimp pasta, chocolate cheesecake, and other delicacies are what most humans enjoy to partake when eating. Thanksgiving, a holiday that Americans just recently celebrated, is a very popular time where people enjoy delving into plates of turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and huge assortments of pies. Concluding from this, no person would ever think about feasting on another individual that they love and care about. Despite this mind-set, many pioneers that encompassed the Donner Party of 1846 had to step out of a comfort zone never thought possible and eat their family members and friends to survive a snowstorm that trapped them right …show more content…

He was born in North Carolina in 1785, and later relocated to Kentucky, and then moved to Illinois right before he and his family left for the golden state of California in search of a better life (Simkin). He was married three times (Donner was not a polygamist—he just had divorces to end the marriages before he married his third wife Tamsen) and had many children from all his wives put together (Simkin). His first wife and children stayed back and did not accompany Donner to the new land (Simkin). “Donner decided to move to California. In April 1846, Donner, his third wife and their five daughters joined with a party led by James Reed. His brother, Jacob Donner, his wife Elizabeth, and their seven children also joined the party” …show more content…

This specific wagon train, which was composed of 87 individuals, was headed to California in 1846 from Springfield, Illinois (Halverson). The party had 23 wagons within the group (“Utah State History”). Their group of pioneers would rank among the most famous because of the unthinkable tragedy they encountered. The brothers of Jacob and George Donner led the party (“Donner Party”). After traveling many miles across the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah, they wanted to try out a supposedly shorter route to the Golden State. Unfortunately, snow and rough land caused them to be delayed on their new proposed short path, and they were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for an extended amount of time. Being stranded and cold led to many deaths, which also led to shortages of food, plants, and livestock. The individuals that survived had to resort to eating their fellow friends and family members to survive (“Donner Party”). Only half of the party reached their final coveted destination in California after the disaster (“Donner

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