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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. How did Margaret and Elizabeth Graves get along?

2. How long did the snowshoers think it would take them to get to the first settlement in California?

3. What did Louis Keseberg do in California?

4. What lured emigrants to California in 1849 in 1850?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Virginia tell her cousin about the personal atrocities that happened on the trail?

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

3. What did they decide to do for food in order to survive?

4. What happened to Mary Murphy?

5. How did Virginia deal with the idea of cannibalism?

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

7. Why didn't Tamsen Donner allow herself to be rescued for a second time?

8. How did the members of the Donner Party interact when they reached California?

9. How did the group members respond when it actually came time to eat one of their comrades?

10. What happened to Louis Keseberg?

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 has the story of the Donner Party affected people throughout history? Why is it pertinent to today's world?

Essay Topic 3

Describe in detail why James Reed was banished and what the team promised to his family. Then comment on how they treated the family in actuality.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 548 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample