The True Story of the Donner Party’s Struggle for Survival
Oct 10, 2025
17:58
forum Ask episode
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
On this episode of Our American Stories, in 1846, a group of pioneers set out for California with dreams of a better life. Known as the Donner Party, they fell behind on the trail, took a disastrous shortcut, and became trapped in the Sierra Nevada as winter storms closed in. With supplies gone and snow piling up, survival came at a great cost. Here’s their remarkable and tragic story.