Donner party

• What was the name of the trails the Donner Party traveled in 1846?

  The Oregon Trail and California Trail
• Why did the Donner Party fail?

  They took an incorrect shortcut, the Hastings Cutoff
• What was the consequence of the Donner Party failing?

  A decrease in migrants to California due to cannibalism
• Who led the Donner Party?

  The Donner brothers
• When did the Donner Party set out on the Oregon Trail?

  May 1846
• What decision did around 80 members of the Donner Party make in July?

  They decided to take a shortcut
• Who was the trail guide that suggested the shortcut?

  Lansford Hastings
• What did Hastings claim about the shortcut?

  It was easy to travel with water and grass
• What was a significant flaw in Hastings' claim about the shortcut?

  He had never traveled it himself
• What happened to the party by mid-October?

  They reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains
• What forced the Donner Party to a standstill?

  Winter snowstorms
• When did rescuers reach the Donner Party?

  February 1847
• How many of the original 80 migrants were still alive when rescued?

  About 40
• What extreme measure did the survivors resort to?

  Cannibalism
• What does the case study of the Donner Party illustrate about westward migration?

  The dangers of migrating West
• What is compared to the dangers faced by the Donner Party?

  The comparative safety of the Oregon Trail
• How many migrants were in the Donner Party?

  300 migrants
• What was the main reason for the Donner Party's disastrous journey?

  Taking an untested shortcut