View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Hw many other people died the night Dolan died?

2. Why did they consider drawing lots?

3. Who did Mrs. Murphy say they ought to eat?

4. How did Virginia described the occasion where she nearly died?

5. What did Aunt Betsy cook in the morning?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did they go about deciding who should be cannibalized?

2. Why didn't the Donner families camp with the others?

3. What happened to the members of the Reed family?

4. What did William Eddy and William Foster find when they went to rescue their families? Who did they rescue?

5. How did William Eddy react to the plan that Williams Foster had- to kill the Indians?

6. Why couldn't all the survivors get rescued at once?

7. What troubles did they face as they waited out the winter?

8. What complications did the group which later became known as Forlorn Hope face?

9. What was happening to the group morale?

10. What did the group do when they realize that they couldn't reach a summit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe what the rescuers found when they came across the survivors. What condition were the people in? Use specifics.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

How did the journey to Independence, Missouri go, and what held them up? How did they feel about reaching the city?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 555 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample