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The Donner Party

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

False Public Remarks

False Public Remarks

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".

Hasting's Book

The Book

Hasting's Letters

Letters

"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

Harms Way

Placed In Harms Way

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)

Dangerous Route

Quote

Left the party on their own

"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

Timeline

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

Timeline

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

Quote

Says Cutoff Saves Time

"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

Profits

Profited

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.

Book

Book

"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)

Interception

Interception

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.

Future Clients

Future Clients

"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

"

Undermined the Situation

Undermined the Situation

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.

Wagons are unable to fit through canyon

Hastings claimed wagons fit well

"Mr . Hastings, our conclussions were that many of the wagons would be destroyed in attempting to get through the canyon." (spartacus educational.com)

Quote

Describes Cutoff as Easy

"There are several very easy natural passes, through this range also..." - Artifact #3

Map

Hastings claimed that the cutoff saved time by being more direct

Lying... again

Unreliable

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

Best Trail?

"This pass at 38 degree North affords a very eligable route for wagons.

-Artifact #3

Best Route?

Hastings was Selfish

"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

Hasty Hastings

Not safe for wagons

More False Claims

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

Who's fault?

Conclusion

Hastings was mainly at fault by advertising his trail route. Hastings proved to be unreliable, inexperienced, and provided faulty advice towards the Donner Party.

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