A critical component of those that survived the Donner Party accident was cannibalism. It is hard to fathom eating other people and animals, but in order to live, some did just that. “After eating the family dogs and other animal meat, some members ate bones, hides, twigs and string. Human bones were not recovered but researchers believe some Donner Party members resorted to cannibalism” (Viegas). Even though it was very harsh that the pioneers had to eat one another, it was a way to survive, and they wanted to live to get to California.
Analysis
There were many perspectives of the accident of the Donner Party in 1846. Tamsen Donner, George Donner’s third wife, was a member of the party, but unfortunately died in the storm. She was pleased to go on the trip because she knew if she passed away, her children could live on her legacy. She said in a journal that she was writing…show more content… He should not have taken that route, because he did not know much about it. It put his group in danger, and he acted like he would find the way to California correctly, even though he led them right into a snowstorm. Now, it is not his entire fault as Hastings did inform them all wrong, but he still should have taken the normal path to California just to be safe.
Another component that I have learned in Outdoor Leadership class is various leadership skills. I do not think that the Donner Party leaders were successful as leaders because so many of the pioneers died. If they have been more beneficial and active, less people could have died. In the peer-reviewed article called The Donner Party Revisited, it is stated that there were 47 survivors – 11 men, and 36 women and children (Rota). They could have most likely rounded up a search party for help earlier than they did.
The sources I chose I believe all are very beneficial. They gave me insight into the accident, unlike what I had previously been taught about it