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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 did Reed want out west?

2. How far into the established route did Hastings Cutoff appear?

3. What did the first group find that pioneers had left the winter before?

4. How many times had George Donner emigrated?

5. What was James Reed's occupation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What would they have to do in order to cross a river?

2. Even though Hastings didn't meet them at the Fort, why did they continue to go on to take the Cutoff?

3. What happened to James Reed after he killed Snyder?

4. Why was Independence, Missouri so famous?

5. How many miles a day did the Donner Party plan to go, and what with their actual pace?

6. What happened to Mr. Hardcoop?

7. What happened to the oxen during the six days it took to get through the desert?

8. What type of obstacles did people on wagon trains frequently have to face?

9. How did Virginia feel about her traveling clothes?

10. How were tasks divvied up on the wagon train?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What were some of the things the members of the Donner Party resorted to as they tried to deal with their hunger?

Essay Topic 2

How were the members of the Donner Party betrayed by people along the way? Cite at least two examples.

Essay Topic 3

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 521 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample