History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra

McGlashan, C. F. (Charles Fayette), 1847-1931Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.8

Word count: 439K words
Chapters: 44

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra by C. F. McGlashanAuthor: McGlashan, C. F. (Charles Fayette), 1847-1931,Language: English, Class: F850.5: United States local history: Pacific States, Release Date: Jul 1, 2004

Editor's review

This is one of the early systematic English historical accounts of the Donner Party. McGlashan, writing not long after the events, drew on participants' recollections and local sources to reconstruct how the emigrant party was trapped in the snow, survived, and suffered losses. Its value lies not in sensationalism but in placing a specific disaster within the broader context of westward expansion: poor route choices, misjudgment of the seasons, internal divisions, and the struggle of human nature under extreme conditions are all presented in a relatively plain manner. The prose bears the marks of nineteenth-century local history writing: dense in detail and unhurried in pace, yet precisely for that reason the reader can see how the tragedy accumulated step by step rather than collapsing in a single moment. It suits readers seeking supplementary material on American western history, disaster history, and environmental history, as well as those interested in pioneer narratives who are willing to read slowly and quietly. A caution: some of the book's language reflects the limitations of its era, and readers should maintain a critical awareness of the sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of westward expansion and emigrant routes in the American West
Those who want to understand disaster decision-making and environmental risk through a concrete case
Students who need primary English sources for coursework or research
Readers who enjoy documentary-style historical narrative and can accept a slower pace

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting fast-paced thriller narration or extensive psychological portraiture
Those uncomfortable with the language style of nineteenth-century English historical sources
Readers who want only conclusion-style historical summaries and prefer not to read details

Reading tips

Read the opening and closing sections first to grasp the overall arc, then return to the trapped-in-the-snow passages in detail.
While reading, mark key junctures such as route choices, supply decisions, and internal divisions.
Use maps or geographical materials to trace the route, which makes the causes of the predicament more vivid.
After finishing, write a short review distinguishing factual narrative from the author's era-bound judgments.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical record?

It is a work of history, written from participants' recollections and local sources, narrating the real event in which the Donner Party was trapped in the snow while traveling west. It is not a fictional novel. The book is dense in detail but bears the marks of nineteenth-century local history writing, so readers should maintain a critical awareness of the sources.

How difficult is the English, and what background is needed?

The original is nineteenth-century English, with rather long sentences and accessible vocabulary but high narrative density. University-level English reading ability is sufficient to read it through; place names and personal names may be researched first. If you only want an outline of events, you may read introductory material before turning to the original.

Why is it better suited as a historical source than as casual reading?

The book was written relatively early, close to the events, and preserves many participants' accounts and local details, giving it notable value as a historical source. But its narrative pace is slow and its emotional dramatization limited, making it more suitable for consulting and cross-referencing with specific questions than for reading as fast-paced entertainment.

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About the author

McGlashan, C. F. (Charles Fayette), 1847-1931 Author · American · 1847–1931

Charles Fayette McGlashan (1847–1931) was an American historian of the American West. He is known for writing History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierra, a work centering on the hardships the Donner Party encountered during their westward migration and regarded as one of the important sources on that event. One of his works is held in this collection. Public information about his education, professional identity, and social activities is limited; what can be confirmed is chiefly his contribution as a writer on the history of the American West. His writing is notable for its detailed account of events and its attention to preserving the experiences of those involved and the details of historical sources, offering later readers a reference for understanding the difficult journey of nineteenth-century American westward migrants.