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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. What is cannibalism?

2. What lured emigrants to California in 1849 in 1850?

3. Patty is the following items from everyone except for:

4. What happened to the Breen's dog, Towser?

5. How long did the snowshoers think it would take them to get to the first settlement in California?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did they go about deciding who should be cannibalized?

2. How did the members of the Donner Party interact when they reached California?

3. How did Virginia inadvertently help the world hear about what happened to the Donner Party?

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

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

6. What was the Reed reunion like?

7. Why didn't the Donner families camp with the others?

8. What happened to Louis Keseberg?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

What disrupted James Reed's attempt to put together rescue teams? How did he manage to eventually get help?

Essay Topic 3

Describe what Christmas was like when the Donner Party members were trapped. Describe Christmas for those at the lake as well as the Forlorn Hope members.

(see the answer keys)

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