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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 caching, according to the emigrants?

2. What did Reed want out west?

3. How would James keep in touch with his family?

4. What did the travelers use instead of firewood to keep their fires going?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. What was "The Emigrants Guide to Oregon and California" like?

2. How did Charles Stanton helped the traveling party?

3. What did James Reed say that persuaded the man to take Hastings' Cutoff?

4. Why did some of the people in Springfield question James Reed's ideas?

5. What did the Donner party find when they emerged from the Cutoff?

6. What did Clyman talk to Reed about?

7. Why was Independence, Missouri so famous?

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

9. What did the families do in the evenings?

10. Why did each family have three wagons?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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?

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This section contains 593 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample