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The Donner Party's downfall was caused by placing trust in Landsford Hasting, who abandoned the party, provided faulty advice, and had no experiance to provide accurate trail routes.
Hailey Stocksick, Savannah McDowell, Emily McDowell, Madelyn Stuart
Hasting's used his publicity to guide people onto a unknown route. He went as far as to publish a book and wrote letters claiming the route easy and "time-saving".
"To further publicize his route, Hastings wrote open letters claiming that his route would save pioneers' time, and that he'd meet anyone interested at Fort Bridger to lead them to California." - How the Donner Party Was Doomed By a Disastrous Shortcut
Hasting's claimed the route was a safe and faster way to reach California. This route he claimed was faster included forcing big wagons down a narrow, rugged canyon, then crossing a desert of salt flats with no water.
"It involved trekking through Weber Canyon, a steep, dangerous path that involved walking through a quickly-moving river to get between sheer walls of quartz rock. Once Hasting's followers got further to Utah, they would have to cross the salt flats surrounding the Great Salt Lake, a salt desert that involved trekking for 80 miles with no water." - Artifact 11 (History.com)
"Despite Hastings' promise to guide their party along the route, he was not there to escort them: he had gone ahead with another party." -How the Donner Party Was Doomed By a Disastrous Shortcut
Hastings arrived in California
Despite arriving before the Donner Party, and most likely hearing about the widespread news of the party's misfortunes, there are no reports of Hastings trying to help the party out of the mess he put them in
Hastings left in April of 1846
Hastings left with another group despite claiming he would help the Donner Party
Donner party gets stuck
Donner Party left
1846-47
Hastings arrived with other group
Hastings left with a different group
The last survivor is saved
Lewis Keseberg, the last survivor, was not rescued until April
Donner Party left in April in 1846
The Donner Party set off only 3 days later and Hastings only met them once to help them and instead continued with his other group
"Those who go to California travel from Fort Hall w. s. w. about fifteen days to the northern pass in the Californian mountains; thence three days to the Sacramento; and thence seven days to the bay of St. Francisco." -Artifact #3
Hastings whole reason for writing his book was to get people from the midwest to travel to California, with the gain in publicity he could gain a large number of clients when they reach California. He would benefit from them, and build his own reputation.
"Hastings published The Emigrant's Guide to Oregon and California in 1845, a book that billed itself as a one-stop guide to traveling West. He wanted to promote white settlement in California, which he hoped would become an independent state, and also profit from his travels." - Artifact 11 (History.com)
A letter to the Donner Party was intercepted. In the letter was a warning to not use Hasting's cutoff. -Article #8
This would have taken away profit from both Hastings and Fort Bridger, who was the one to intercept.
"He hoped to build a reputation, and perhaps a political career for himself in one of the new lands." -How the Donner Party Was Doomed by a Disastrous Shortcut
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Throughout his guides, Landsford Hasting creates this illusion that his route, or the Hasting's Cutoff, would be easier than other routes. He never took into consideration that the area wasn't cleared and the mountain ranges were unfit for wagons to travel on.
"Mr . Hastings, our conclussions were that many of the wagons would be destroyed in attempting to get through the canyon." (spartacus educational.com)
"There are several very easy natural passes, through this range also..." - Artifact #3
Hastings claimed that the cutoff saved time by being more direct
Big problems occured for the Donner Party, as they had to trek their wagons over rugged landscpaing and rivers. The party essentially had to make their own path with extra cargo and 90 people in the party
"This pass at 38 degree North affords a very eligable route for wagons.
-Artifact #3
"The scandal became nationwide news, and Hastings was roundly criticized for his hasty promotion of a very questionable route. But since he was still the reigning authority on traveling to Oregon and California, Hastings merely revised future editions of the book to remove any reference to the fateful short cut."- Mount Vernon's Hastings advised a hasty short-cut that doomed the Donner Party
Although the Hastings cutoff had been traveled before, though not by Hastings himself, the route had never been traveled by wagon making the Donner Party the first to do so.
-10 Things You Should Know About the Donner Party history.com
Hastings was mainly at fault by advertising his trail route. Hastings proved to be unreliable, inexperienced, and provided faulty advice towards the Donner Party.