Why Did These American Settlers Eat Each Other?

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Thoughty2 (Arran) is a British YouTuber and gatekeeper of useless facts. Thoughty2 creates mind-blowing factual videos about science, tech, history, opinion and just about everything else.
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Writing: Damien Knightley
Editing: Giselle Hannah Santos
Script Development: Steven Rix

[Fasciseus]

Many years ago, I worked with a woman who was a direct descendant of the Donners. Every couple years members would gather for a family reunion and the "be careful or I'll eat you" jokes were limitless. On a more serious note, this woman owned an old diary written by one of the Donner women and included many accounts of what actually happened during this (above) event, of how emotionally difficult it was for members of the Donner family to make the decisions to survive or die. This particular diary was never published, and no plans to do such by its current owner, as she told me herself. I was told by this woman, my co-worker, that many of the stories told today have been highly exaggerated and sensationalized outside the living family descendants. The author of the diary of which I speak, eventually made her way to San Francisco and lived to be a very old woman herself.

[memesjenkins]

Been hilarious if you'd gotten this sponsored by hello fresh or grub hub.

[lesleyewen-foster]

Virginia Reed, who was a child on this trip, wrote this advice in her diary for future travelers, "Hurry along as fast as you can and don't take no cutoffs."

[clairef]

fun fact about me that nobody cares about!: My family was among one of those 50 wagons that went with the Reed and Donner families. Thankfully my ancestors decided to go to Oregon and not California where they diverged from the Donner's and never ended up taking that "shortcut" route. It's scary to think that if my ancestors had followed them they may have shared their fate and i would never be alive today. Thankfully my family made it to Oregon with only two deaths out of their 14 children. Also another fun fact one of those kids was named America.

[RaiderDave]

This should be an interesting watch right before I eat lunch.

[gimmelucky]

growing up in Nevada we took a field trip to the lake and walked along the trail. the donner museum has a lot of interesting stuff in there.

[hurjireepz]

Its sad to know that the native americans were actually very friendly and helpful. They saved a lot of people no matter their race and no matter what they looked like. Sadly the payment they get is the destruction of their tribes.

[shewolfsiren]

The real tragedy is that the Donner Party missed getting to safety by just ONE DAY. I learned that from the two-hour PBS special “The Donner Party” and the two-hour Weather Channel special “Dead Of Winter: The Donner Party”.

[Poseidon]

A couple years ago I happened to be driving alone at 2am in Truckee CA, knew vaguely about the Donner party so I spent some time driving around and getting out of my car to have a smoke. Wish I could tell you I saw a ghost or some shit but nah, just spooky middle-of-nowhere vibes. Just thought I’d share 🤷🏽‍♂️

[michaelmcdonnell]

"Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs!"

[jurgen-fritz]

“Thank the good God we have all got through and the only family that did not eat human flesh, ” wrote fourteen-year-old Virginia Reed, a surviving Donner Party member, in an 1847 letter. “Don’t let this letter dishearten anybody and never take no cutoffs and hurry along as fast as you can.” Reed reported being “pleased with California, particularly with the climate.”

[mountbuckekreative]

There is an old saying from my days at the Pfadfinder(german boy scouts): "The longest distance between two points is a shortcut!"

[kevindurant]

I’m 14 from the US and I love your channel. The way to edit and make your videos are amazing. This channel has kept me sane during the lockdown, Ive learned so much. Thank you

[IcedCat]

Donner party: we're gonna get rich in California!
Nature: *no*

[gamingmetnoel]

"Meet the Pioneers Who Ate Each Other"

No, I don't think I will.

[bigimskiweisenheimer]

"If ya brought more jerky ya wouldn't had to eat Grandma"

Said: Some one

[poweroffriendship.]

_"PIONEERS WHO EAT EACH OTHER..."_

*Also that one pioneer:* Krusty Krab Pizza! It's a pizza for you and me...

[FieryWaco]

No clowns were permitted in the Donner party. They taste funny.

[adjaninamdu]

I've been watching to this channel for 8 months now and i seem to tell my family weird factual information I've learned on this channel they always don't believe me end up trying to ask Google and i come on as a very interesting person thank you for making my world bigger

[powwowken]

Let's be real, Keseberg was no longer eating people out of desperation, there were 3 oxen legs for food, he was eating people because he enjoyed it, so I don't really feel bad for him being treated like a monster. I'll never judge someone who chooses cannibalism over death, but choosing it over regular food is entirely different.