What dangers were there on the journey west? Starter – read the diary entry your teacher has given you. Try to work out what has happened! Challenge – how are they trying to survive?

The Donner Party Made up of 300 migrants in 60 wagons. Started Oregan Trail in May 1846, well equipped and mostly elderly women and children. At Fort Bridger, 80 of them tried to use a short cut that left the Oregon Trail. Turned out not to be a shortcut but caused delay – the land was rough and difficult to pass. It took them 3 months to reach the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Due to delay, winter had arrived and half of them died due to starvation.

Journeys had to be completed in winter or risk freezing to death. Couldn’t take place before April as there would be no grass to provide animals with food. Food could run out which would result in starvation. Due to slow speed of oxen (3km/ph), there was no time for delays in order to get through before winter. People had to have skills e.g. carpetener, hunter, fisherman, medic etc. You could get lost easily and die in the wildnerness. Cholera spread easily (many people using same camp sites and rivers) Native Americans could attack, but many were very polite and helped travellers. Wagon axels could break on rough terrain

Religious group who were hated in the East (their leader, Joseph Smith, was murdered in 1845) Their new leader, Brigham Young, believed God wanted them to travel to the Salt Lake Valley, Utah. Young wanted to make the journey in the spring of 1846, however hostility in Illinois forced them to go in February. They stayed in Omaha until the following spring In April 1847, Young led a small party of 150 to the Salt Lake Valley (they had enough food for a year and a portable boat) By July 1847, they had reach their destination. Between 1847 and 1869, 70,000 Mormons would follow the Mormon Trail to Salt Lake Valley! The Mormon Migration

Learning Task 1. Complete the worksheet your teacher has given you on the problems facing travellers west. For each, identify potential solutions to avoid any serious issues. Target 9,8 “Brigham Young had learned from the mistakes of the Donner Party” – how accurate is this statement? Target 7,6,5 Explain why Mormon migration was more successful than the Donner Party’s migration. Target 4,3 What mistakes did the Donner Party make? What good decisions did the Mormons make during their journey?

“Brigham Young had learned from the mistakes of the Donner Party” – how accurate is this statement? The Donner Party tried to make a short cut by going off the Oregon Trail, whereas Young ensured that all Mormons stuck to the trail to avoid getting lost. Donner left in May, whereas Young waited until spring 1847 to leave so there would be lots of grass to help cattle graze. Donner allowed some to go off the trail, whereas the Mormons divided into smaller groups with a leader so if anyone was separated everyone would still know what to do. He also ensured regular rests to stop cattle getting too exhausted, which was a problem for the Donner Party.