Death in the Donner Party: A Cause-and-Effect Investigation

In 1846, the eighty-seven members of the Donner Party left Illinois to begin a new life in California. Many pioneers made this journey, but the Donner Party faced delays and terrible misfortune. Trapped with few supplies in the snowy Sierra Nevada for the winter, what would the travelers do to survive?

To understand the impact of a disaster, you must understand its causes. How did taking an untested shortcut affect the Donner Party's progress? How did multiple delays contribute to poor tra...