Witness History: Witness Archive 2015 - The Donner Party

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In 1846, a group of pioneers were trying to reach California by wagon train when they were trapped by snow over the winter - and some were forced to eat each other to survive. Their gruesome story has become a legend of the American West.

PHOTO: The slopes of Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada range, near Lone Pine, California, USA. 20/04/2008.

Published on Monday, 28th December 2015.

Available Podcasts from Witness History: Witness Archive 2015

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We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Witness History: Witness Archive 2015 webpage.