The Fate of The Donner Party Essay

The 19th century was a time where the idea of manifest destiny swept through the American nation. Filling the minds of men and women of the united states, fueling the ideas of moving west for land and prosperity. Americans sought to extend the United States territory from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast, seeing it as their god given right to obtain the land. Nearly seven million Americans embarked on that long and treacherous journey west. On this excursion, the travelers would face rugged terrain, harsh weather conditions, savage Indians, and robbers. Although millions of the travelers made it to their destinations unscathed, not all were so fortunate. One of the most tragic recorded incidences during this western expansion was that of the Donner Party. This group of pioneers, due to false information and bad judgment, became stranded on the Sierra Nevada mountain during the winter of 1846 and were forced to turn to cannibalism to survive.

In the early 1900s, the United States had an increase of settlers leaving their hometowns to the west in the faith of being able to live in a more catholic freedom world, others also joined by the inspiration of Manifest Destiny, a thought in which the Americans thought that everything between the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean is theirs and should therefore settled by them. A group, that was on the way to the western U.S., for those reasons in 1846, had a tragic loss of 34 settlers due to many tragic events. This group was led by George Donner, which was elected the leader of this group on 19 July 1846, this group inherited his name, called the Donner Party. The Donner Party consisted of the families of George Donner, his brother Jacob

Some would argue that eating someone’s flesh is unethical. However, in this case of extreme starvation, cannibalism is necessary. There is no other food source and having waited for already 18 days, the chances of a passing vessel before we all die of famine is diminutive.

350-400 miles off their planned trip. It seemed to be a good idea to follow

The Donner Party was a catastrophic event that happened in the late 1840's. It was a famous misfortune that had occurred in the spring of 1846. As a matter of fact, it was led by two wealthy brothers, Jacob and George Donner. As well as, nearly 90 emigrants left Springfield, Illinois and headed west. They attempted to take a shorter route to California, but were unsuccessful and as a result, they got trapped by heavy snowfall in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

on April 16,1846 nine covered wagons left Springfield, Illinois on the journey to California.the originator of the donner party was a man named James Frasier reed,an Illinois businessman eager to build a fortune in the rich land of California.reed also hoped that his wife, Margaret,who suffered from headaches,might improve by the coastal climate.reed had read the book the emigrants guide to Oregon and California, by landsford w. Hastings found a new shortcut across the great bastin.the route enticed travelers by advertising that it would save them 350-450 miles.

The Populist Party, also known as the people’s party, was a third party political option in the primary election for president during the late 18th century. It played a major role as a left-wing force in American politics. The party mainly drew its support from angry farmers in the South and West and operated on the left-wing of American politics. Even though the party only lasted seventeen years, it was ultimately a success because most the things that they were recommending were adopted.

Cannibalism was a solution going through many people’s heads during the Oregon Trail, but not many had really carried out the thought besides a group of people called the Donner Party, or the Donner Reed Party. The journey out West took around four to six months, but for some, it took longer because of changing weather conditions or rough terrain. The Donner Party were some of the unfortunate ones that had to suffer a harsher trip. What happened with the Donner Party was a great tragedy, but very few people know the full story.

The gluttonous lords of the land capture those who are unable to defend themselves, boil the captives alive, and then feast on their flesh. Could this be the plot of some new summer blockbuster? It could be, in fact, but for now we will focus on how this depiction of events compares to David Foster Wallace’s essay, “Consider the Lobster,” which starts as a review of the Maine Lobster Festival, but soon morphs into an indictment of not only the conventions of lobster preparation, but also the entire idea of having an animal killed for one’s own consumption. Wallace shows great skill in establishing ethos. In the essay, he succeeds in snaring a receptive audience by laying out a well-baited trap for an

In many cultures, human cannibalism is considered the ultimate taboo. However, in some cultures it’s a common practice. One of the most well studied and controversial examples of human cannibalism occur within Aztec society in Mesoamerica.

Desperate times called for desperate measures and in some cases, people had to revert to cannibalism in means to survive. In other instances, the barbequing of humans was just a matter on

New battle-lines are drawn, as the characters lose all moral grounding and are drawn into the perpetration of uncontrolled, orgiastic violence” (Gildenhard, Zissos 36). In the end, the act of cannibalism is so atrocious that it implicates all parties

Cannibalism is an act that is thought to be heinous and inconceivable in the minds of men. But, contrary to what many people think, cannibalism is very much alive and still being practiced within the continental United States of America; the thing is…the government just hasn't found out about it yet. This report will take you through the history of cannibalism, the different types of cannibalism, and the different cases of cannibalism.

Lu Xun’s 1918 short story, Diary of a Madman, presents diary entries from a man who is being consumed by his own paranoia. Suddenly aware of the moon’s vibrancy and the strange reactions from those around him, including a dog, the madman starts to feel certain that all the town’s people are plotting to eat him. As the story progresses, the madman keeps seeing and hearing different things that lead him to believe that even his brother is in on this feast that’s supposed to happen, with him being the main course. The short story is centered around the idea of cannibalism and how the madman in reacting to it upon discovering that it is something that suddenly he must be aware of. Although the story is being based off a diary from the main character, there is a relation between the entries, the social issues that are happening in China at the time, and how Xun, the Chinese author, feels about them.

In May of 1846, settlers George Donner and James Reed led an assembly of nearly 90 people on a journey from Springfield, Illinois to the newly discovered West. The West was full of new hope- a chance of starting anew and the possibility of buying untouched land were promising to those who yearned for more. The leaders, George Donner and James Reed, followed a book titled, The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California written by Lansford Hastings, which ensured a shortcut to their promising, new destination. Unfortunately, it was Hastings’ book that ultimately led many in the group to their untimely demise as the party got stuck in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the harsh winter. The group ignored warnings from an old friend, James Clyman, and even refuted the whispers heard prior to their departure of the anguish to come if they followed Hasting’s new route. It was a pilgrimage that created and left a trail of misery, betrayal, and death. Presently, one can compare different versions of this harrowing American tale as technology has made different genres available within readers reach. The original story was told firsthand by Eliza Donner, in her book titled, The Expedition of The Donner Party and its Tragic Fate. Another valuable version utilizes modern technology in the video documentary, The Donner Party. Although there are significant differences between the two genres, both show the reader that even though different paths are taken to tell this woeful tale, their