The Donner Party was the most famous tragedy in the history of the
westward migration in the United States. In the winter of 1846-47,
abount ninety wagon train emigrants were unable to cross the Sierra
Nevada Mountains of California before winter, and almost one-half starved
to death. Perhaps because they were ordinary people -- farmers,
merchants, parents, children.
These data include some information about each of the members of the party
from Johnson (1996).