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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the first snowshoer to die?

2. How did Margaret and Elizabeth Graves get along?

3. Why was it a little difficult to read Virginia's letter?

4. What happened to the people who resorted to cannibalism?

5. What did emigrants do once they realize that they were trapped?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Virginia tell her cousin about the personal atrocities that happened on the trail?

2. Why couldn't all the survivors get rescued at once?

3. What complications did the group which later became known as Forlorn Hope face?

4. How many rescue teams were there, and what did they find?

5. What tragedy struck once the first group of survivors made it safely to Johnson's Ranch?

6. Why didn't the starving people hunt for food?

7. How did the Donner party story affect emigrants traveling West?

8. What troubles did they face as they waited out the winter?

9. What did the group do when they realize that they couldn't reach a summit?

10. What did the Miwok Indians do to help them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why was Virginia so concerned about Indians? Were her worries valid? What was the Donner Party's experience with Indians the first time they came across them?

Essay Topic 2

How did the journey to Independence, Missouri go, and what held them up? How did they feel about reaching the city?

Essay Topic 3

How has the story of the Donner Party affected people throughout history? Why is it pertinent to today's world?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 601 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample