View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What book did Reed and Donner use for guidance?
(a) The Oregon Trail
(b) The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and California
(c) California or Bust
(d) Go West, Young Man - Memoirs of Daniel Boone

2. What did the Donners find along the trail when the groups were split up?
(a) Berries
(b) The body of a man from Hastings' party
(c) Belongings from other wagon trains
(d) Reed's body

3. What happened to Mr. Wolfinger?
(a) He became ill.
(b) He was found murdered.
(c) He went off to find help.
(d) He died from an infection on his leg.

4. What happened when Hardcoop could no longer walk?
(a) They let him lie in the wagons.
(b) They left him behind to die.
(c) They carried him on their backs.
(d) They made crutches for him.

5. What was George Donner's occupation?
(a) He ran mills and made furniture.
(b) Farmer
(c) Lawyer
(d) He ran a grocery store.

6. What is caching, according to the emigrants?
(a) Removing furniture and burying it to prevent theft
(b) Putting food aside in rations
(c) Dumping items out of the wagon
(d) Storing food they found on the trail

7. What did Sutter do?
(a) He established a fort and trading post.
(b) He was a pioneer.
(c) He was a hunter.
(d) He rescued people who were injured on the trail.

8. What did the surface of the desert consist of?
(a) Copper-colored powdery sand
(b) Dust
(c) Salt and alkali
(d) Nipping mites

9. How did they get the wagons down the canyons?
(a) They used rope and tackle.
(b) They pushed them and watched them roll.
(c) The men blindfolded the oxen and guided them down with the wagons.
(d) They didn't. They had to leave the wagons there.

10. Where was James Reed from originally?
(a) Missouri
(b) North Carolina
(c) Ireland
(d) New York

11. What happened to the letters that Bryant sent Reed?
(a) Reed never received them.
(b) Reed laughed when he read them.
(c) Reed tore them up without reading them.
(d) They were given to Donner instead.

12. How did Reed react to Clyman's message?
(a) He hugged the man for the good news.
(b) He brushed off the warnings.
(c) He told everyone they should move out as quickly as possible.
(d) He started making weapons.

13. What was James Reed's occupation?
(a) He ran mills and made furniture.
(b) Farmer
(c) Lawyer
(d) He ran a grocery store.

14. Where did the children sleep?
(a) Under the wagon
(b) On Grandma's bed
(c) Around the campfire
(d) In a second story loft

15. How many people were in the group when it was at its full strength?
(a) 142
(b) 41
(c) 87
(d) 63

Short Answer Questions

1. When did they think the summit would be snowed in?

2. What happened to 13-year-old Edward Breen?

3. What did the travelers eat for lunch?

4. How did Tamsen Donner women feel about the trip?

5. What was Sutter's fort like?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 527 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample