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The Donner Party's Journey In The Desperate Passage By Ethan Rarick

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The Donner Partys journey to the west is such a historic event that displays heroic efforts and such horror that it makes it one of Americas most studied events. The Donner Party displays acts of courage to save one another life while also showing how far one can push themselves. This historic event takes drastic turns to show how far people are willing to go for survival and how much they are willing to risk for their loved ones. In the Desperate Passage by Ethan Rarick, he shows just that; he recalls event from the Donner Party and takes historical evidence to show what really happened and displays a great platform as to why the Donner Party is as historic as it is. Rarick goes in depth about the Donner Party's events that took place, the …show more content…

This is a 2500 mile trekked by foot and with the help of oxen. This journey was inspired by James Reed, an Illinois businessman, with intentions of finding great fortunes out west.Reed soon found others seeking adventure and fortune in the vast West, including the Donner family, Graves, Breens, Murphys, Eddys, McCutcheons, Kesebergs, and the Wolfingers. In nine brand new wagons, the group estimated the trip would take four months to cross the plains, deserts, mountain ranges and rivers in their quest for California. Before the Donner Party set off for their journey, James Reedad recently read a book by Landsford W. Hastings, who advertised a new shortcut across the Great Basin.This new route enticed travelers by advertising that it would save the pioneers 350-400 miles on their trip. The Donner Party left Springfield, Illinois and headed for Independence, Missouri. After resupplying, on May 12, 1846 they headed west again to California. They made it 100 miles until tragedy struck, Sarah Keys died near the Big Blue River in Kansas. This was their first …show more content…

The trail parted into two routes the norther trail known as the Hastings Cutoff. Here, the train split, with the majority of the large caravan taking the safer route. The group preferring the Hastings route elected George Donner as their captain. Once they split hard comings came from both groups of parties. George Donners wagon broke while James Reed was banished from his group. James Reed eventually made it to Sutter’s Fort where he regrouped with some people and headed back out to rescue his family. Winter soon struck and halted everyone from doing anything. Everyone bunkered down and lived off the oxen meat they had. As rations started to run low, those able bodied set out to reach Sutter’s Fort but things soon turned for the worst. They quickly ran out of rations and eventually resorted to canibalism. Very soon rescue parties were sent out to rescue the lost party. It took three teams to rescue everyone. In the end two thirds of the mean perished while more than two thirds of the women and children survived. In total only 45 of the members

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