Desperate times call for desperate measures. This advice has been used for many years as a way to justify questionable actions in times of desperation. Following the advice, the Donner Party did everything it could to survive. Stuck in a snowstorm, the group is believed to have reverted to animalistic behavior and devoured each other to survive. While no one knows the truth about that fateful winter, many agree that cannibalism was their primary form of survival. Although the Donner Party's travels were not well documented and many details remain disputed, it is evident that they resorted to cannibalism to survive. During their journey west, the group famously known as the "Donner Party" inevitably became trapped in a winter snowstorm. of 1846 and 1847. Initially, the group left for California in search of new opportunities. Figure 1 shows the route followed by the group to arrive at the pre-established destination. After departing from Springfield, Illinois, the Donners' first stop was in Independence, Missouri, where they joined the rest of their traveling companions. The group then planned to arrive at Fort Bridger to join another expedition, but it was too late and the expedition left without them (Johnson, 1). They departed Fort Bridger on July 31, 1846 using their navigational skills in hopes of landing at their destination (Diamond, 2). When an unfortunate snowstorm occurred, the group was stranded. To make matters worse, they were split between Truckee Lake and Alder Creek. During this time they struggled because they had few supplies and a limited food source. Of the 81 people in the group, only 45 survived the horrendous conditions (Johnson, 1). That body count may seem fairly typical given the conditions… half the document… alone is irrational let alone inadequate reasoning to force disagreement. They most likely consumed wild animals but were not dependent on them in any way. In desperation, the Donner Party had to resort to cannibalism. The Donner Party experienced harsh measures and had to make extremely important decisions regarding survival. Many still deny the possibility that the party resorted to cannibalism despite a severe lack of evidence and virtually no documentation of events to the contrary. On the other hand, many simply “want to tell the story of their lives in those final months, not just the cannibalism. [They] were not supposed to restore humanity to the members of that party – and their descendants” (Bailey, 1). Despite such controversies, the party eventually became linked to cannibalism, and as events turn out, this is obviously what happened..