| Author |
Houghton, Eliza Poor Donner |
| Title |
The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 73.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by Dave Morgan, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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| Summary |
"The Expedition of the Donner Party and its Tragic Fate" by Eliza P. Donner Houghton is a historical account written in the early 20th century. The book recounts the harrowing journey of the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers who set out for California in 1846 with hope and ambition, only to face unimaginable hardship and tragedy as they became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The narrative is drawn from personal recollections, presenting a unique perspective as the author, a child survivor, reflects on her family's experience amidst the larger historical context of westward expansion. The opening of the book introduces the author’s personal connection to the epic tale, recounting her early memories of the Donner Party, led by her father, George Donner. It sets the stage with rich descriptions of the time, illustrating the hopes of the pioneers who embarked on a quest for a better life while foreshadowing the grim reality they would face. It details the preparations for the journey, the forging of community ties, and the excitement of embarking on an adventure that would soon turn to despair as they encountered challenges such as treacherous weather, scarce provisions, and dire moral dilemmas. Houghton’s poignant recollections blend personal and collective memory, paving the way for a powerful account of survival against overwhelming odds. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
F850.5: United States local history: Pacific States
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| Subject |
Donner Party
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| Subject |
Overland journeys to the Pacific
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
11146 |
| Release Date |
Feb 1, 2004 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Mar 6, 2013 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
178 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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