The Donner Party, a misbegotten group of American pioneers who organized wagon trains to California in the 1840s along the Oregon Trail with dreams of participating in the California gold rush and striking it rich, fascinates my students far more than geopolitics, diplomacy or the world wars.
Full movie
“Based on the harrowing true story, “The Donner Party” picks up after William Hastings steers a group, nicknamed ‘Forlorn Hope,’ off course by promising a shorter route to California through the Sierra Nevada mountains. After several early snowstorms, the group and its leaders (Crispin Glover and Clayne Crawford) find themselves lost, freezing and without any source of food.”
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 
Pingback: Fresh Looks At US Founders and American Revolution: Not the History Your Grandfather Learned – Jim Buie
Pingback: America’s Compelling Narrative of Conquering the Frontier: Another Look – Exploring North, Central, and South America
Pingback: Cowboys, Indians, and Settlers on the Frontier: 22 Links Offering New Perspectives – Exploring North, Central, and South America