The Donner Party Chapter One: The Donner Party O

As they set out, they formed a party of 32 men, women and children, including the men George had hired to help drive the big wagons (PBS 1). George Donner was accompanied by his fourth wife, Tamzene, a schoolteacher, and their daughters. Jacob and his wife Betsy also had several children (Lewis 1). Reed was accompanied by his wife, Margaret Keyes-Backenstoe, and her daughter, Virginia, and her elderly mother, Sarah (Lewis 1). Reed hoped that the better climate in the west would help improve his wife Margaret's chronic headaches (PBS 1). Based on his research, Daniel Lewis suggests that Margaret may have suffered from migraines and what contemporary physicians might diagnose as clinical depression. He believes she likely feared the toll the difficult journey could take on her family (Lewis 1).

The Donners and Reed were taking their families out west in hopes of capitalizing on the land disputes between the Americans, Spanish, English and Native Americans (Lewis 1). They were very much pioneers in the sense that they were moving

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PBS 1). Reed rode ahead to find Hastings, and found him after five days. But Hastings refused to accompany Reed back to the Party. Instead, he suggested what he considered to be a more manageable route across Emigration Canyon, or the great basin. Reed led the Party along that route (PBS 5). The dense undergrowth the Party encountered on this route was almost impassable, and their journey continued at a snail's pace with the men continuously stopping to hack through the bush (PBS 5). Yet even when they made it through the canyon, they found themselves in a salt desert (PBS 5). The trip had now taken a month instead of the week they had expected. The Party ran out of water and thirty-six oxen, including the Reeds', had bolted, delirious with thirst (PBS 6). It was now late August and the Party was significantly behind schedule and beginning to worry about the passing of summer (PBS 6). Many of the wagons had to be abandoned and many people were dehydrated. Many among the Party were angry at Hastings for his wrong information and Reed for choosing to follow it (PBS 6). But they had gone too far into the cutoff to turn back; their only choice was to proceed. But they did not have enough provisions to get them to Californ
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1855
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)