Oregon Statehood

From Territory to State

Oregon Statehood:

From Territory to State

1843 - 1859

1843

At this time, Oregon was still an unclaimed land, Spain and Russia had both given up their claim

on the Oregon Country, but the United States and Great Britain both still wanted it. Both

American missionaries and fur trappers lived in the Willamette Valley, along with French

Canadian trappers who worked for Ft. Vancouver.

By 1842, many Americans began arriving in the Willamette Valley from the East and setting up

farms. The new settlers soon faced a big problem in their new community; wolves, panthers and

bears were killing their cattle and horses. The growing community decided to hold a meeting to

address how to take care of this problem. This first organized meeting became known as the

“Wolf Meetings”. At this meeting, the settlers decided to pay for any skins of the animals that

were attacking their animals. The settlers also decided that there was a growing need for rules

and a local government. The new American settlers wanted to protect the rights to their new

land and needed to insure their safety. They also hoped that someday their land would be part

of the United States. So the settlers decided to hold a second meeting to set up a provisional

government. A provisional government means someone who will govern the area until the

boundary issue could be settled between Great Britain and the United States.

On May 2, 1843, the settlers met at a town called

Champoeg to discuss setting up a government.

The British ruled Canadians and the American

settlers could not agree on setting up on an

American government. Finally, a mountain man

named Joe Meek stood up and yelled, “All those

who are for a provisional government follow me!”

He drew a line in the dirt and stepped over it.

52 men followed him, including two Canadians.

The other 50 Canadians were overruled and plans

for a provisional government began.

1844

James Polk was elected president of the United States and decided to stake a

claim for the Oregon Country. At this time both Great Britain and the United

States claimed the same land. The British claimed the land from the

Columbia River north. This foothold took place when the British owned

Hudson Bay Company trapped and began to settle the land above the

Columbia River. The Americans had settled the land to the south of the

Columbia River.

President James Polk decided to stake his claim and have it include the area

from the Columbia River, northward, all the way up to the 54th line of

latitude. This bold claim included all of the British land claim. Americans

rallied behind President Polk and came up with the slogan, “54- 40 or fight.”

Neither side could afford going to war over the land the United States was

already at war fighting Mexico for California. The British saw the many

Americans flooding into the country and did not want to fight for the land.

The Oregon Treaty of 1846 was signed with Great Britain agreeing that the border to divide the British Territory of Canada and

the Oregon Country owned by the United States would be the 49th parallel.

The Whitman Massacre forced the United States to look at the safe

After the massacre, Joseph Meek went to the Whitman Mission to give the victims an appropriate

victims was Joseph’s own daughter, Helen. He then travelled back

Whitmans and ask that Oregon be recognized

1847 The Whitman Massacre forced the United States to look at the safety of the Oregon Country’s citizens.

After the massacre, Joseph Meek went to the Whitman Mission to give the victims an appropriate

victims was Joseph’s own daughter, Helen. He then travelled back to Washington D.C. to deliver the news ab

as a territory and have a Territorial government set up.

Whitman Mission

ty of the Oregon Country’s citizens.

After the massacre, Joseph Meek went to the Whitman Mission to give the victims an appropriate burial. Among the

to Washington D.C. to deliver the news about the

as a territory and have a Territorial government set up.

1848

President Polk makes Oregon a territory to protect its citizens. He appointed Joseph Lane as territorial governor and Joseph

Meek as the United States marshal. At that time, the settler population and the Native American population was equal.

1848

Gold was discovered at Sutter’s Fort in California. This sent more than 200,000 people rushing to California. Two-thirds of the

male population of the Willamette valley were among the many who headed for the gold mines. The people of Oregon were

in the right spot at the right time. The ones who did not leave for California made their own small fortune by selling their extra

food and lumber to the miners. With more and more miners arriving daily, the need for food and lumber

skyrocketed and so did the prices.

1850

Samuel Thurston was the first territorial delegate of Oregon. He helped persuade the Congress to pass the Donation Land Act

of 1850. This law rewarded the earliest settlers between the 1830s and the 1840s with the land that they claimed free and

clear. Their deed was recognized by the United States government.

The second part of the Land

Act allowed any man at least

18 years old who came to

Oregon before December

1850 to claim 320 acres of

land for free. If he was

married, his wife could also

claim another 320 acres.

From 1851-1855 the settlers

were given half as much land

for free, 160 acres for each

single man, 320 for a married

couple. These settlers were

required to work and live on

the land for four years before

they owned the land free and

clear.

1850-1860

Native Americans and settlers were at war because many treaties had been made and broken. The Native Americans were trying to protect their

land and their way of life. The settlers were trying to claim the same land and start a new life for their families. Many treaties were made to keep

the peace between the two people; but there was no way they could survive together. The United States government paid the Native Americans

for some of their land and set aside some land for the Native Americans. This land was called a reservation. The reservations often had very poor

land that did not provide enough food or sufficient shelter for the natives. The natives were forced to live on such reservations.

1853

Four years after Oregon became a territory, Washington Territory was carved out of the Oregon Territory and was made a

territory of its own. This new territory had its own appointed governor, secretary, marshals, and judges.

1857

The Convention of 1857 was held in Salem, Oregon. Sixty leaders came together to write the state’s

constitution. Once written, the constitution had to be approved by the voters. The only people

allowed to vote were adult white men.

There were three parts to the constitution that had to be voted on. The first part was the

constitution. It easily passed the vote.

The second part was whether or

not Oregon should allow

slavery. The voters voted to ban

slavery from Oregon.

The last part of the vote was to

decide whether or not the free

African Americans would be

allowed to live in Oregon. The vote

was “no” to allowing African

Americans to settle in Oregon.

In September 1857, Oregonians

voted in the constitution and sent

it on to the United States Congress

for approval, eventually allowing

Oregon to become a state two

years later.

1859

February 14th, Oregon became the thirty-third state. This process took several years because there was a lot going on at a

national level. The United States could not agree on whether slavery should be allowed or not. The states in the North were

against owning slaves and wanted them to be freed. The states in the South wanted to continue with slavery because they

needed the slaves to work in their fields. The slavery question split the United States equally down the middle. If Oregon was

admitted into the states, the number of states against slavery would outnumber the states that wanted slavery. But the slaves

who would be freed would not be allowed to live in Oregon. Either way, admitting Oregon as a state to the union fueled the

slavery problem. Finally, President James Buchanan signed the bill and Oregon became the thirty-third state.

File photo, The Oregonian Portlanders hit the muddy roads of the village to celebrate statehood for Oregon in 1858. Problem was, they jumped the gun. Statehood became official on Feb. 14, 1859, when President James Buchanan signed the bill admitting Oregon as the 33rd state. The news accounts welcomed the event and also complained: "Our people are already overburdened with taxation." Although the precise location of this photo is unknown, the center of town at the time was at the foot of Southwest Washington Street and Front Avenue (now Naito Parkway), facing the Willamette River.

Essential Questions:

• What was so important about Oregon becoming a state?

• How were fur trappers, pioneers and homesteaders, miners, and Native Americans

affected by Oregon statehood?

• Who were the people who were able to make the decisions about statehood?

• Were there people who were not able to help make decisions? Who were they? Do you

think those people would have changed the outcome or not?

• What roles did wolves, land grants, and gold play in Oregon statehood?

Provisional Seal 1843-1849 Territorial Seal 1849 - 1859 State Seal 1859 - present