Desperate times call for desperate measures. This advice has been used for many years to justify questionable actions in times of desperation. Following the advice, the Donner party did everything it could to survive. Stuck in a snowstorm, the group reverted to animal habits and devoured each other to survive. Although no one knows the truth about that fateful winter, many agree that cannibalism was their primary form of survival. Although the Donner Party's travels have not been well documented and many details remain controversial, it is evident that they resorted to cannibalism to survive. During their journey West, the group notoriously known as the "Donner Party" inevitably found themselves trapped in a winter snowstorm. of 1846 and 1847. The group originally left for California in search of new opportunities. Figure 1 shows the path followed by the group to arrive at the set destination. After leaving Springfield, Illinois, the Donner's first stop was in Independence, Missouri, where they joined the rest of their traveling companions. The group then planned to arrive at Fort Bridger to join another expedition, but it was too late and the expedition left without them (Johnson, 1). They set out from Fort Bridger on July 31, 1846 using their own navigation skills in hopes of landing at their destination (Diamond, 2). When an unfortunate snowstorm hit, the group found themselves stranded. To make matters worse, they were split between Truckee Lake and Alder Creek. They struggled during this time as they had few provisions and a limited food source. Of the 81 people in the group, only 45 survived the terrible conditions (Johnson, 1). This number of casualties may seem pretty typical depending on the state...... middle of document...... on its own it is irrational, not to mention poor reasoning for arguing the disagreement . They most likely consumed wild animals but were in no way dependent on them. In desperation, the Donner party had to resort to cannibalism. The Donner party suffered severe measures and had to make extremely important decisions regarding its survival. Many still deny the possibility that the party resorted to cannibalism, despite a serious lack of evidence and virtually no record of events indicating otherwise. On the other hand, many "just want to tell the story of their lives over the past few months, not just the story of cannibalism." [They] were not supposed to restore humanity to the members of this party – or to their descendants” (Bailey, 1). Despite such controversy, the holiday was ultimately linked to cannibalism and, based on events, that is obviously what happened..