Donner Party Jonathan E

Their plan was to break down to California, acquire cheap contribute where e they could reap he benefits of rich soil and good mode that Springfield Illinois did non Provo De them. The journey to California was the beginning of a sassy life for The Donned society and for many an(prenominal) others. The move westward worried many people because of the possible encounter with aggressive Indians, however the Indians should not concord been their main worry. Uniform n consumely the decision to keep company a faulty range westward to California led these travelers into challenge gees that they could not overcome.The Donned troupes transportation west was marked as one of the most catastrophic journeys in the history of westward expansion. The Donned Party story began with a plan to move to California along the Oregon trail (the safest r step to the foree) until reaching Hast inns cutoff where they began the suicidal trek towards California resulting in death and suffer ring until the pitch approxim ingestly one year later. Espanola 2 jam Reed and the Donned Brothers pertinacious that they were going to leave S predefined Illinois and travel to California with their families leaving shadow a prosperous life (Lavender 3).Their plan was to follow a egest called The Emigrants Guide to Oregon and C laboring by Langford W. battle of battle of Hastings that give lead them to California using the shortcut know as the Hastings Cutoff, this would shorten the expedition by three hundred miles (V. Murphy 19). In exhibition to manage this trip possible they needed to prepare themselves with aliment, supplies, suits blew fit out and method for transportation. James Reed created a luxurious wagon that was cognize as the Pioneer palace car due to his experience in furniture making.The wagon was equipped with a stove, beds and had ample space to earn supplies in order to make the trip comfortable and homelike (Clamor 21 They also brought with them oxens, steers and horses to facilitate trans rotation and cows to provide milk. Enough supplies were gain to get them through the first WI make it in California which they concept would treat them six calendar months (V. Murphy peg 2). Young men who treasured to go to California but could not afford it, known as Teamsters, were hired to do the hard work of walking beside the oxens for the immaculate trek.Their work was to care for oxen an d in return they were given food and space in the wagon to sleep (Lavender 13). E reallybody ha ad map on this journey. Women were to cook, look after children and do laundry. The men h united, steered and well-kept the wagons and cared for the animals. Ready to go, the three fame ices fare out for the west on April 16, 1846 not knowing the challenges that they would face. The Donned Party arrived at their first destination on may 1 1, 1846, at Indeed emended Missouri, where they, along with everybody else moving west, would stupefy the Oregon and California Trails.This was the beginning refer for travelers going west, even b jack in 1843 when the first wave of emigrants went west (B. Brooke). There they met up with anon there family Espanola 3 traveling to California, the Breed family, and together they travel to catch up to the other travelers ahead of them destined for California. After xl fives days of travel through changing climate that was troublesome for the emigrants they arrived at fastness Laramie, a famous Indian trading post.They realized that the gain west they traveled they encounter De more climate changes such as infrequent rains, electric storms, dry sand dust and hot suns whine, that would make travel more difficult for the emigrants. The travelers, despite small prop elms along the way, seemed excited to reach new territory. At Fort Laramie they were please .NET greeted by Indians from the Sioux tribe and were able to finally take a pillow from the journo spirit and even elaborate Independence Day, then America was turning lxx years old.H ere James Reed came a busy an old friend, James Clammy, who had crossed the shortcut Hast nags mentioned in the draw and quarter, but said that it was dangerous and that travelers should empty cross sing that terrain. He recommended that people follow the know terrain of Fort Hall road that went northwest to California (Lavender 1824). Reed stayed focused on taking the shortcut because SE he felt the group could do so just as they had done making it to Fort Laramie from mightiness endurance, MO with its obstacles.The wagon party voted to take the shorter route and elected egotism GE Donned the leader, the group from here on out was known as the Donned Party. Fort Bride gear was the final stop, before Hastings Cutoff, for the party to comport up on supplies, repair wag ones and purchase more livestock. They had reached the point of no return. On July 31 SST the part y set out on the dangerous unknown trek southwest following the gui de books shortcut that not even the author himself had crossed. From here on The Donned Party would find most of their troubles that events ally led them to tragedy.The first challenge they came across, in what was to be a see ounce Of several Espanola 4 starters, was at the base of Weber Canyon. That day, August 6th 1846, the D owner party put together a letter from Hastings telling them that the trail was very dangerous and to w tit for him to return in order to guide them through another route (Clamor 53). Hastings did not d o as he promised on the note, so James Reed persistent to travel ahead and find him for a solution. When James Reed speak with Hastings he told him to avoid the canyon trail, recommended in hi s guide book, due to the narrow walls that would not allow wagons to pass .Hastings pointed oh t to the distance a route that the Donned party should take. Once again, the decision to follow H castings directions failed them. They went off into new terrain, uphills t hat were practically impose Siebel to ascend. What was supposed to take a week, took them one month (V. Murphy 20). The e Donned Party and their oxen, worn out(p) from the trip, arrived at the Great Salt Lakes on August 22, 1846. There they found another letter from Hastings stating that the trek across the salt d assert was forty miles and it would take them two days and TV nights to cross.Proving Hastings in correct again, the trip actually took them five days to cross resulting in a shortage of supplies, d hydrated men and oxen, and wagons go forth behind. The extreme climate Of the desert also took an impact on the party (Clamor). On September 26th, knowing they did not have enough supplies to r each California, they arrived at the Humboldt River where Hastings cutoff met with the old trait l. In fact, the shorter route was 1 25 miles longer than the old route. Video Having travel be hind they were desperate to reach the Sierra Nevada mountains in order to get to California b efore the winter.October 1 6th they arrived in Truckee at the base of the mountains where they soon realized they came too late because a boisterous winter had come. The Donned Party had travel De 2500 miles over a seven month period with only 1 50 more miles to Setters Fort, their final agnostic nation (R. Burns DVD). The winter snow forced them to set up camp at Truckee Lake, now know win as Donned Espanola 5 Lake, where they would spend the entire winter. Some members of the group tried to cross the mountains a few times but were unable due to the weather conditions.The WI enter brought heavy snowstorms trapping the members at Don newer Camp. After killing the stick out of t heir animals for food they began to eat materials that did not provide them with the provender added to survive the winter. It was noted that they ate twigs, bark, leaves, bones, and even boil De the leather from raiment to eat (Clamor 96). Many began to die from malnutrition and extreme c old conditions as the winter went on. In this time of extreme desperation the people had to rest rot to cannibalism for survival.They marked the flesh so that no one had to eat the meat of their own kin. The people were in a dire mail service of starvation and delirium. December 26th ma irked the first day that they ate a human, the dead body of Patrick Dolled was cut apart and coo ked on a the fire (Clamor 108). By January 1847 California had become territory of the unite states after the defeat of the Mexicans. James Reed, who had separated from the group months back, was able to gather men and form a rescue party to relieve those at Donned Camp.January 31 SST t he first rescue team set out for Donned Camp arriving on February 7th. They were shocked at the s eight of death and famine people. The completed rescue of those at Donned Camp undeniable a t total of four rescue teams, the camp was evacuated by April 17th 1847. Of the original Donned pa arty that consisted of 87 members, 46 of them had survived. The entire Reed and Breed family s arrived however the Donned family was not as fortunate. two Donned brothers had perished at Donned Camp during the dreadful winter, the only ones that survived were two of the Don ere children.This tragical story of the Donned party was said to be a part of the American Dry am. An American dream that has nightmares attached to them, and for many results d in disaster video. Espanola 6 Like many others the Donned Party followed a relocation where people were encouraged to go west and settle in opposed land. Many thought this travel to be a new casualty but for the Donned Party it turned out to be the last trip of their lives, never reaching thee r dreams of a new life in California.