The Donner Party

• The Donna Party was a group of around 300 migrants who traveled west in May 1846
• The Donna Party was led by the Donna brothers and included a larger than average proportion of women, children, and the elderly
• The Donna Party left somewhat later than most families, in late spring, which left little time to complete the journey before the snow hit the mountains
• 87 members of the Donna Party split off to try a shortcut described in a guidebook, cutting around 550 kilometers off the route
• The shortcut taken by the Donna Party was a grave mistake
• The Donna Party had little room for delays and put their faith in the Hastings Cut-Off route west, despite having no experience with it
• Due to leaving late, there was less grass and feed for the Donna Party's horses and oxen, making them weak and slow
• The Donna Party used the Hastings Cut-Off route, which was 150 miles longer than the more established route
• The Hastings Cut-Off route was substantially longer and windier than the Oregon Trail and California Trail routes
• The Donna Party became hopelessly delayed by the time they reached the Sierra Nevada in mid-October, with winter fast approaching
• The Donna Party became stranded in the snow, their food ran out, their animals died and were eaten, and people began to die and were also eaten
• 39 out of the 87 who had set out from the Donna Party had starved and frozen to death
• A diary entry from one of the Donna Party members mentions the chilling possibility of cannibalism
• Happy Christmas


  Thursday the 25th
• Mrs Murphy: 'Yesterday she thought she would commence on Milt and eat him. She hasn't done so yet. It is distressing'
• Desperation led people to consider cannibalism as there was nothing else to eat
• It was perhaps thought that sacrificing a few lives could ensure the survival of many
• Captain Fulham's account described the gruesome scene at the Dollar Party in February of 1847
• The Donna Party resorted to cannibalism to survive after being stranded in the snow due to a shortcut mistake in their journey west in 1846-1847
• Mormons learned from the mistakes of the Donna Party to avoid similar tragedies
• The failure of the Donna Party became famous as a cautionary tale for migrants
• Later migrants, like the Mormons, were careful to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Donna Party
• Donna Kebabs are mentioned as a memorable way to recall the distressing story of the Donna Party
• The Donna Party's story became famous for the grisly details and the lesson it provided on preparation
• The Donna Party's experience serves as a lesson on the consequences of lack of preparedness and bad luck
• The Donna Party's story is a reminder of the importance of learning from past mistakes
• The Donna Party's tragic journey serves as a cautionary tale for migrants
• The Donna Party's experience highlights the importance of proper preparation for journeys
• The Donna Party's failure led to a famous account of survival through cannibalism
• The Donna Party's story is a lesson on the consequences of taking shortcuts without proper preparedness
• The Donna Party's story emphasizes the importance of learning from history to avoid repeating mistakes
• The Donna Party's experience underscores the significance of being well-prepared for journeys
• The Donna Party's journey serves as a reminder of the risks of not being adequately prepared for travel
• The Donna Party's tragic fate is a lesson on the importance of planning and preparation
• The Donna Party's story is a cautionary tale on the dangers of not being properly equipped for journeys
• The Donna Party's experience highlights the extreme measures people may resort to in desperate situations
• The Donna Party's story is a reminder of the harsh realities faced by migrants in challenging circumstances
• The Donna Party's journey serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of poor decision-making in travel
• The Donna Party's tragic tale is a lesson on the survival instincts of humans in extreme conditions
• The Donna Party's story is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of individuals in dire situations