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The Resource The best land under heaven : the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny, Michael Wallis

The best land under heaven : the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny, Michael Wallis

Creator
Author
Summary
"'Westward ho! For Oregon and California!' In the eerily warm spring of 1846, George Donner placed this advertisement in a local newspaper as he and a restless caravan prepared for what they hoped would be the most rewarding journey of a lifetime. But in eagerly pursuing what would a century later become known as the "American dream," this optimistic-yet-motley crew of emigrants was met with a chilling nightmare; in the following months, their jingoistic excitement would be replaced by desperate cries for help that would fall silent in the deadly snow-covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada. We know these early pioneers as the Donner Party, a name that has elicited horror since the late 1840s. Now, historian Michael Wallis continues his life's work of parsing fact from fiction to tell the true story of one of the most embroidered sagas in Western history. Wallis begins the story in 1846, a momentous "year of decision" for the nation, when incredible territorial strides were being made in Texas, New Mexico, and California. Against this dramatic backdrop, an unlikely band of travelers appeared, stratified in age, wealth, education and ethnicity. At the forefront were the Donners: brothers George and Jacob, true sons of the soil determined to tame the wild land of California; and the Reeds, headed by adventurous, business-savvy patriarch James. In total, the Donner-Reed group would reach eighty-seven men, women, and children, and though personal motives varied--bachelors thirsting for adventure, parents wanting greater futures for their children--everyone was linked by the same unwavering belief that California was theirs for the taking. Skeptical of previous accounts of how the group ended up in peril, Wallis has spent years retracing its ill-fated journey, uncovering hundreds of new documents that illuminate how a combination of greed, backbiting, and recklessness led the group to become hopelessly snowbound at the infamous Donner Pass in present-day California. Climaxing with the grim stories of how the party's paltry rations soon gave way to unimaginable hunger, Wallis not only details the cannibalism that has in perpetuity haunted their legacy but also the heroic rescue parties that managed to reach the stranded, only to discover that just forty-eight had survived the ordeal. An unflinching and historically invaluable account of the darkest side of Manifest Destiny, The Best Land Under Heaven offers a brilliant, revisionist examination of one of America's most calamitous and sensationalized catastrophes."--Publisher's description
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xx, 455 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Contents
  • Introduction : 1846
  • Prologue : Donner Lake, June 6, 1918
  • One. Call of the West. 1. A migrating people
  • 2. The best land under heaven
  • 3. Gray gold
  • 4. Snake heads
  • 5. California dreaming
  • 6. The bold plunge
  • 7. Wagons ho! April 1846
  • 8. Farewell, April 14-15, 1846
  • 9. Independence bound, April 15-May 10, 1846
  • Two. The journey
  • 10. Queen city of the trails, May 10-12, 1846
  • 11. Indian country, May 12-18, 1846
  • 12. Soldier Creek, May 19, 1846
  • 13. The others, May 20, 1846
  • 14. People of the south wind, May 21-24, 1846
  • 15. Alcove Spring, May 25-29, 1846
  • 16. The rhetoric of fear, May 30-June 2, 1846
  • 17. Ebb and flow, June 3-7, 1846
  • 18. On the Platte, June 8-10, 1846
  • 19. Life goes on, June 10-15, 1846
  • 20. A letter from Tamzene Donner, June 16, 1846
  • Three. The promised land
  • 21. Change of command, June 16-19, 1846
  • 22. Chasing mirages, June 19-25, 1846
  • 23. Sage advice, June 26-27, 1846
  • 24. A sense of urgency, June 28-July 12, 1846
  • 25. Parting of the ways, July 13-19, 1846
  • 26. The Donner party, July 20-28, 1846
  • 27. Betrayed, July 28-31, 1846
  • 28. The Hastings cutoff, August 1-22, 1846
  • 29. The fearful long drive, August 23-September 10, 1846
  • 30. Race against time, September 11-October 4, 1846
  • 31. Blood rage, October 5-20, 1846
  • 32. Perseverance, October 21-30, 1846
  • Four. Out of time
  • 33. Snowbound, November 1846
  • 34. Desperate times, desperate measures, November-December 1846
  • 35. The forlorn hope, December 1846
  • 36. Camp of death, December 1846
  • 39. The starving time, January 1847
  • 38. In dire straits, January-February 1847
  • 39. Man on a mission, January-February 1847
  • 40. To the rescue, February 1847
  • 41. The first relief
  • 42. The second relief
  • 43. The third relief
  • 44. The fourth relief
  • Aftermath
Isbn
9781631494000
Instance
Label
The best land under heaven : the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny
Title
The best land under heaven
Title remainder
the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny
Statement of responsibility
Michael Wallis
Title variation
Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"'Westward ho! For Oregon and California!' In the eerily warm spring of 1846, George Donner placed this advertisement in a local newspaper as he and a restless caravan prepared for what they hoped would be the most rewarding journey of a lifetime. But in eagerly pursuing what would a century later become known as the "American dream," this optimistic-yet-motley crew of emigrants was met with a chilling nightmare; in the following months, their jingoistic excitement would be replaced by desperate cries for help that would fall silent in the deadly snow-covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada. We know these early pioneers as the Donner Party, a name that has elicited horror since the late 1840s. Now, historian Michael Wallis continues his life's work of parsing fact from fiction to tell the true story of one of the most embroidered sagas in Western history. Wallis begins the story in 1846, a momentous "year of decision" for the nation, when incredible territorial strides were being made in Texas, New Mexico, and California. Against this dramatic backdrop, an unlikely band of travelers appeared, stratified in age, wealth, education and ethnicity. At the forefront were the Donners: brothers George and Jacob, true sons of the soil determined to tame the wild land of California; and the Reeds, headed by adventurous, business-savvy patriarch James. In total, the Donner-Reed group would reach eighty-seven men, women, and children, and though personal motives varied--bachelors thirsting for adventure, parents wanting greater futures for their children--everyone was linked by the same unwavering belief that California was theirs for the taking. Skeptical of previous accounts of how the group ended up in peril, Wallis has spent years retracing its ill-fated journey, uncovering hundreds of new documents that illuminate how a combination of greed, backbiting, and recklessness led the group to become hopelessly snowbound at the infamous Donner Pass in present-day California. Climaxing with the grim stories of how the party's paltry rations soon gave way to unimaginable hunger, Wallis not only details the cannibalism that has in perpetuity haunted their legacy but also the heroic rescue parties that managed to reach the stranded, only to discover that just forty-eight had survived the ordeal. An unflinching and historically invaluable account of the darkest side of Manifest Destiny, The Best Land Under Heaven offers a brilliant, revisionist examination of one of America's most calamitous and sensationalized catastrophes."--Publisher's description
Writing style
Biography type
contains biographical information
http://library.link/vocab/ext/novelist/bookUI
10561835
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1945-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Wallis, Michael
Dewey number
978/.02
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
  • plates
Index
index present
LC call number
F868.N5
LC item number
W36 2017
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/resourcePreferred
True
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Donner Party
  • Pioneers
  • Pioneers
  • Overland journeys to the Pacific
  • Frontier and pioneer life
  • Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)
  • Donner Party
  • Donner Party
  • Frontier and pioneer life
  • Overland journeys to the Pacific
  • Pioneers
  • California
  • United States
  • West United States
http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/titleRemainder
the Donner Party in the age of manifest destiny
Label
The best land under heaven : the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny, Michael Wallis
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 427-436) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Introduction : 1846 -- Prologue : Donner Lake, June 6, 1918 -- One. Call of the West. 1. A migrating people -- 2. The best land under heaven -- 3. Gray gold -- 4. Snake heads -- 5. California dreaming -- 6. The bold plunge -- 7. Wagons ho! April 1846 -- 8. Farewell, April 14-15, 1846 -- 9. Independence bound, April 15-May 10, 1846 -- Two. The journey -- 10. Queen city of the trails, May 10-12, 1846 -- 11. Indian country, May 12-18, 1846 -- 12. Soldier Creek, May 19, 1846 -- 13. The others, May 20, 1846 -- 14. People of the south wind, May 21-24, 1846 -- 15. Alcove Spring, May 25-29, 1846 -- 16. The rhetoric of fear, May 30-June 2, 1846 -- 17. Ebb and flow, June 3-7, 1846 -- 18. On the Platte, June 8-10, 1846 -- 19. Life goes on, June 10-15, 1846 -- 20. A letter from Tamzene Donner, June 16, 1846 -- Three. The promised land -- 21. Change of command, June 16-19, 1846 -- 22. Chasing mirages, June 19-25, 1846 -- 23. Sage advice, June 26-27, 1846 -- 24. A sense of urgency, June 28-July 12, 1846 -- 25. Parting of the ways, July 13-19, 1846 -- 26. The Donner party, July 20-28, 1846 -- 27. Betrayed, July 28-31, 1846 -- 28. The Hastings cutoff, August 1-22, 1846 -- 29. The fearful long drive, August 23-September 10, 1846 -- 30. Race against time, September 11-October 4, 1846 -- 31. Blood rage, October 5-20, 1846 -- 32. Perseverance, October 21-30, 1846 -- Four. Out of time -- 33. Snowbound, November 1846 -- 34. Desperate times, desperate measures, November-December 1846 -- 35. The forlorn hope, December 1846 -- 36. Camp of death, December 1846 -- 39. The starving time, January 1847 -- 38. In dire straits, January-February 1847 -- 39. Man on a mission, January-February 1847 -- 40. To the rescue, February 1847 -- 41. The first relief -- 42. The second relief -- 43. The third relief -- 44. The fourth relief -- Aftermath
Control code
ocn978252186
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xx, 455 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Isbn
9781631494000
Lccn
2017012937
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
  • 40027280782
  • 9780871407696
  • 99972578723
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)978252186
Label
The best land under heaven : the Donner Party in the age of Manifest Destiny, Michael Wallis
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 427-436) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Introduction : 1846 -- Prologue : Donner Lake, June 6, 1918 -- One. Call of the West. 1. A migrating people -- 2. The best land under heaven -- 3. Gray gold -- 4. Snake heads -- 5. California dreaming -- 6. The bold plunge -- 7. Wagons ho! April 1846 -- 8. Farewell, April 14-15, 1846 -- 9. Independence bound, April 15-May 10, 1846 -- Two. The journey -- 10. Queen city of the trails, May 10-12, 1846 -- 11. Indian country, May 12-18, 1846 -- 12. Soldier Creek, May 19, 1846 -- 13. The others, May 20, 1846 -- 14. People of the south wind, May 21-24, 1846 -- 15. Alcove Spring, May 25-29, 1846 -- 16. The rhetoric of fear, May 30-June 2, 1846 -- 17. Ebb and flow, June 3-7, 1846 -- 18. On the Platte, June 8-10, 1846 -- 19. Life goes on, June 10-15, 1846 -- 20. A letter from Tamzene Donner, June 16, 1846 -- Three. The promised land -- 21. Change of command, June 16-19, 1846 -- 22. Chasing mirages, June 19-25, 1846 -- 23. Sage advice, June 26-27, 1846 -- 24. A sense of urgency, June 28-July 12, 1846 -- 25. Parting of the ways, July 13-19, 1846 -- 26. The Donner party, July 20-28, 1846 -- 27. Betrayed, July 28-31, 1846 -- 28. The Hastings cutoff, August 1-22, 1846 -- 29. The fearful long drive, August 23-September 10, 1846 -- 30. Race against time, September 11-October 4, 1846 -- 31. Blood rage, October 5-20, 1846 -- 32. Perseverance, October 21-30, 1846 -- Four. Out of time -- 33. Snowbound, November 1846 -- 34. Desperate times, desperate measures, November-December 1846 -- 35. The forlorn hope, December 1846 -- 36. Camp of death, December 1846 -- 39. The starving time, January 1847 -- 38. In dire straits, January-February 1847 -- 39. Man on a mission, January-February 1847 -- 40. To the rescue, February 1847 -- 41. The first relief -- 42. The second relief -- 43. The third relief -- 44. The fourth relief -- Aftermath
Control code
ocn978252186
Dimensions
25 cm
Edition
First edition.
Extent
xx, 455 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates
Isbn
9781631494000
Lccn
2017012937
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other control number
  • 40027280782
  • 9780871407696
  • 99972578723
Other physical details
illustrations, map
System control number
(OCoLC)978252186

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