Donner Party Tragedy

Of all of the journeys out west that took place during the 1800's in the United States, the Donner Party tragedy was one of the most unfortunate. This essay will look at the events and conditions surrounding the perilous trip. Specifically, the topics that will be examined are the motivations to make the journey, the events that occurred during the journey to the Sierra Nevada, the setbacks that occurred, the obstacles they faced, the search parties that attempted to rescue the lost travelers, and the lasting consequences that resulted from the disaster.

There were many motivations to make the journey out West to California, including money and weather. It had cheap land and people living there were said to be healthier because of the weather. During the mid-1800's, many more pioneers started heading out west, especially to California and Oregon. Many were Catholics, who thought that they would have more freedom of religion in the West, because the East was still heavily Protestant. Some did it because of the idea of the Manifest Destiny, which claimed that it was the United States' right to stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean to spread democracy across the continent. Travel to the West was made easier through use of the Oregon Trail. However, it took quite a while, sometimes up to 6 months to complete the journey. It was always the man's choice to head west, so his wife and children had to come with him. [McNeese, Page 11].

James Frasier Reed, a business man from Illinois, wanted to strike it rich in California. He was an Irish immigrant, and had settled in Illinois in 1831. He and his family left Springfield, Illinois for California. The journey to California was roughly 2500 miles. James Reed used the book The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California by Lanford W. Hastings. In this book, Hastings suggested a route that would possibly save the travelers 350 to 400 miles. Hastings had never actually tested the route he suggested, and it would ultimately lead to disaster for the Donner Party. [Calabro, Page 14]. Reed also thought that the coastal climate might help his wife's frequent headaches. Along with him and his wife came their four children and his wife's mother. His mother-in-law had tuberculosis, and would die only a few weeks into the trip. His mode of transportation was unusual for the time. He had a two-story wagon with an iron strove, cushioned seats, and beds for sleeping. This type of luxury couldn't be afforded by most of the travelers going out west. His original group included 32 men, women, and children.

Along with James Reed came George Donner and his family. George had already migrated five times before he decided to build his home in Springfield. He was 62 years old at the time of the trip. His wife, Tamsen Donner, was 44. They had 5 children. They didn't just take up and leave. It took many months of planning before the journey. George Donner sold