Episode Guide

The Donner Party

Series Progress: Episode 164 of 20082% Completed

Year: 1992Runtime: 90 minOAD: October 28, 1992Lang: ENG

Synopsis

In 1846, a group of over eighty Westward-bound pioneers were headed to the coast of California from Illinois, which had itself only recently been brought up to "civilized" status. They made it to a pass high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California when they were halted by a truly monstrous blizzard, followed by the snows of one of the worst winters in that century. Their attempts to go forward and backward were thwarted by the deep snow, and, in the small shelter they enjoyed, they slowly starved to death. Eventually, they resorted to cannibalism to survive, and after their story became more widely known, the pass they took shelter in became known as "the Donner Pass." To this day, it is frequently made impassable by heavy snows. Ironically, the forty or so who survived later discovered that, had they only forged ahead about a hundred yards, they would have won free of the deep snow which ensnared them. This documentary has gathered a surprising harvest of photos, notes and drawings in order to tell the pioneers' story.

Cast

Director

Ric Burns

Producer

Ric Burns

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Total Content Density: 169 hours 50 minutes (200 episodes)

Intensity Rating: Epic Binge - A massive saga. Set aside dedicated weekends for this run.

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5 episodes/day: 40 days

The Donner Party

Synopsis

Cast

Director

Producer

📊 Series Binge Profile

Binge Milestones

Episodes (200)

Topics

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