Mormon Migration

• The Donner Party


  A group of 300 migrants led by the Donner brothers
• The Donner Party set out on the Oregon Trail


  May 1846
• The Donner Party's journey

  1. In July, around 80 of the party decided to split off and try a short cut that had been written by trail guide Lansford Hastings

  2. Hastings had claimed the short cut was easy to travel across with plenty of water and grass

  3. However Hastings had never actually travelled across the short cut himself

  4. The route turned out to be disastrous for the party

  5. It was difficult to cross due to dangerous rivers and uneven terrain

  6. At times there were long stretches with no water or grass

  7. By mid-October the party reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains and by November their oxen were completely exhausted

  8. Winter approached and snowstorms forced the Party to a standstill
• Rescuers reached the party in February 1847
• Only about 40 of the original 80 migrants were still alive when rescuers arrived
• The vast majority of these survivors had only survived by turning to cannibalism and eating those who had died
• The Donner Party case study

  • Demonstrates the dangers of migrating West
  • Demonstrates the comparative safety of the Oregon Trail
• Mormons


  A religious group who practised a type of Christianity
• The Mormons were targeted by other Christians who disagreed with Mormon practices such as polygamy
• Joseph Smith, the leader of the Mormons, was murdered


  June 1845
• Brigham Young


  Became the new leader of the Mormons
• Due to the hostility shown towards the Mormons


  Brigham Young decided they needed to move somewhere safer
• Great Salt Lake


  The place Brigham Young decided to migrate the Mormons to, just south of the Oregon Trail
• Brigham Young believed the Mormons would be safe in the Great Salt Lake as it was isolated and technically part of Mexico, not the United States
• The Mormon migration


  • Brigham Young successfully migrated thousands of Mormons to the Great Salt Lake, even though they travelled off the Oregon Trail
  • It is useful to compare this migration to that of the Donner Party in order to understand what made a successful migration
• Why the Mormon migration succeeded

  1. Young carefully planned the logistics, ensuring there was enough supplies to last the journey

  2. Young consulted with trail guides to find the quickest and safest routes

  3. Young sent a 'Pioneer Band' of 150 men and 70 wagons to be the first to travel to the Great Salt Lake, to find the best trail, clear it for use, and construct crossings over rivers and plant crops

  4. Young insisted on strict discipline, meaning there were no splits like there were in the Donner Party

  5. Young planned for regular rests to ensure travellers and cattle did not become exhausted
• Area surrounding the Great Salt Lake


  • Difficult to grow crops
  • Little shelter from the blazing sun
• Despite the challenges, the Mormons were still able to build a fruitful settlement
• Young declared that the Church owned all land and that everyone had to work together for the community
• How the Mormons became self-sufficient

  1. Built complex irrigation systems to access clean water for drinking and crops

  2. Divided into groups to produce specific products like crops or timber, then divided amongst the whole community
• The success of the Mormon settlement was largely down to the strict leadership of Brigham Young, and the willingness of the group to respect his authority and work for the good of the whole community