It was advertised as a new and shorter route west to California and saved pioneers 350 to 400. Unfortunately some crucial things weren't mentioned in this advertisement, one of which was the fact that the new route had never been traveled upon; and two, that the writer was a power hungry man whose only motive was to lure settlers into California under his direction so he could establish the area as an independent republic. This route was known as Hasting's Cutoff and was mentioned in Lansford W. Hasting's book, "The Emigrant's Guide to California and Oregon." Many pioneers eager to make their fortun

While the rest of the party was waiting for the Donners to come, snow began to fall. The party made a dash for the path, but by the time they had reached the midpoint, five new feet of snow had already fallen. Stanton and the two Indians made it as far as the summit, but could go no further. Hopeless, they retraced their steps to the lake to make a winter camp.

There were many statistics gathered from this horrid event. Two-thirds of the men in the party perished, while two-thirds of the women and children lived. Forty-one individuals died, and forty-six survived. The Donners suffered the most; everyone in their family died, but the entire families of the Breens and the Reeds survived. The survivors of the tragic Donner party went on to do various things. Some got married, others sought gold, and one individual, Lewis Keseberg, opened a restaurant.

The party's first stop was Independence, Missouri, where they bought food and traded for any necessities. When they left Independence on May 12, 1846, they were amidst a violent thunderstorm. This storm soon ceased and they eventually reached the eastern bank of the Big Blue River where they attempted to build ferries that would transport them and the wagons to the other side. During this a two-day process, the Donner Party experienced its first death. Margaret Reed's mother, Sarah Keyes, who had been suffering from consumption, died at the river and was immediately buried there. On May 31, the last of the wagons was ferried over the river, and the Donner Party was on its way again.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2843
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)