California Trail

Migration of humans is not a new concept, from hunter gather tribes, to colonists of the Americas, to those migrating west on the Mormon, Oregon, and California trails. However, the motivations and end goals for those travelling westward differentiated them greatly. For those on the California trail: prosperity. For those heading to Utah on the Mormon trail: religious freedom. In the early republic, with new territory being acquired by the United States westward expansion was driven by population growth

California Easy - World war scars on the California trail. SO what did they burn? - (buffalo chips) Easy - Who was the most famous group of people that traveled the California trail - (Donner party) Medium - Who signed register rock - ( immigrants traveling the California and Oregon trails) Hard - what two fur trading companies were responsible for the genital exploration of the areas through which the California trails would pass - ( Hudson bay company and John Jacob Astor fur company) Medium

Cannibalism? Suffering? In the year of 1846, during the spring time an assembly of people headed West to California, leaving their places in Springfield, Illinois. Money wealthy George and Jacob Donner, who were brothers, piloted the group. Deciding on a path to take, they chose an uncharted route, with their chances, that was allegedly “to be shorter”, to reach their destination in California, detouring them from their original plans. Therefore, the group led by the brothers faced rigid terrain and

pioneers started off on journey to California, later this party would be known as the Donner Party, little did they know that this journey for a new life out west would change life as they knew it forever. The book Ordeal by Hunger: The Story of the Donner Party by George R. Stewart gives an outsiders look to the trails and tribulations of the Donner Parties journey. George Stewart was a novelist and professor who taught more than fifty years at the University of California. George makes it very clear from

at the mountain man rendezvous and several other tales quickly gained Carson popularity. He was approached by John C. Fremont in 1942; the man who Fremont, Ohio is named after, to be a guide for the Army to survey a path to Oregon along the Oregon Trail. (Sides) Fremont was linked to politics through his wife and was given the assignment of exploring the West. (Sides) This expedition would be critical in providing a more accurate map for settlers moving west. They would successful complete the

[Illinois]. With several factions competing for the Church’s control, the faithful debated possible destinations, including Oregon, Vancouver Island, Texas, and México’s Alta California province. In February 1846, with Apostle Orson Pratt’s backing, Samuel Brannan (1819–1889) led 238 stalwarts and set sail for Alta California aboard the 404-ton Brooklyn. Brannan hoped to pave the path for the Church’s eventual overland exodus. Brannan, then twenty-seven, took his mission seriously. He equipped the

In 1846, eight families gathered together with a common goal, to find a better life in California. These families became known as The Donner party, also known as the Donner-Reed party. Although they set out with high hopes and good faith, their trip was doomed from the start. As I watched Dead of Winter: The Donner Party, a documentary about the Donner Party, I noticed a great difference in information then what was taught in class. I knew very little on this event and when I watched this documentary

members and seek adventure and new opportunities. The majority of emigrants had as their main reason either land or gold. The most famously travelled trail is the Oregon Trail. This trail is the nation’s longest graveyard, killing nearly one tenth of all travelers (Utah State History, 2014). Many wagon and hand cart groups took the rough 2,000 mile trail to go west; one of these groups was the James Reed Party. It is more famously known as the Donner Party. A Common Goal In April of 1846, a group of

horses to make a one way trip from Missouri to California. When men made a delivery their horses were traded out every 10-15 miles and they would switch off with another guy every 75-100 miles. When they would switch out horses or men it would take about two minutes to switch out. A one way trip would take men an average of 10 days to make. “The trail from Missouri to California was about 2000 miles long and it had about 190 different stations along the trail” (Bradley). The men that worked for the Pony

The Donner Party The Donner Party was a group of immigrants that wanted to settle west to California for the gold rush so they were able to expand and grow rich and wealthy. The Donner Party had to face a lot of challenges to get to California. For example loss of Bison to pull their wagons, broken tires to their wagons no water in deserts, and so on. Only two families survived the terrible conflicts on the way. They were the Reeds and the Breens. There were about 80 survivors that made it to witness