Social Forces in Pacific Northwest History (Copy)

Protestant Missionaries Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa established the Whitman Mission in 1836. The mission, named Waiilatpu, was located on the Walla Walla River near a native Cayuse Indian tribe. Their goal was to Christianize and civilize the nearby tribe. The success of the Whitman's was minimal at best. They made very few converts and continuously clashed with the culture of the Cayuse tribe.

Unfortunate for the tribe, the Mission was a main stopping point for sick travelers on the main trail to Oregon. The travelers brought with them measles and dysentery which killed half of the tribe within two months. Because Marcus was able to cure most white children, and was not able to cure most Indian children, the Cayuse Indians believed that he was some sort of witch doctor. This along with the fact that he brought nearly nine hundred white immigrants back with him after a trip east, which the Indians believed were reinforcement against them, brought the situation to a bloody end. On November 29, 1947 two leaders of the Cayuse tribe killed Marcus, his wife and eleven other people staying at the mission.
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The first Roman Catholic mission in the Pacific Northwest was established by Francis Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers. French employees of the Hudson's Bay Company and the bishop of Quebec wanted them to bring the catholic religion to the "barbarians" of the region and to find lost Christians who had resorted to the ways of those same "savages." The mission was situated the on Cowlitz river and another, established by the same men, on the Willamette River. Blanchet and Demers were the first of many Jesuit missionaries to bring their religion to the natives of the Pacific Northwest.
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In 1855, Fort Lemhi became the first Mormon settlement in the Pacific Northwest. Sent by Brigham Young, as many as twenty seven Mormon men set out to establish a Mormon mission near the Salmon River Valley. These missionaries had the goal of promoting peaceful relations and bringing civilization to the natives. The mission quickly grew to two hundred people. Dealing with controversy over high cattle prices and aiding a rival tribe, a Banook tribe stole the missions cattle heard. The conflict ended with a few Mormons killed and the fort was abandoned in 1858.

While Mormons did have a large presence in the Pacific Northwest, especially in Idaho, most of their settlements were not missions reaching out to the Indians.
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In late 1824, Peter Skene Ogden, a ruthless fur trader, was ordered to head up the Snake Brigades by George Simpson. Simpson wanted Ogden to decimate the beaver population in the Columbia River Region. He believed that this would steer the American fur traders away from the region and thus bolster British Claims to Oregon Country in the area. Over-hunting of beaver and the deforestation of the land caused by settlers, led to practically eliminating the animal in much of the Columbia River Region. In addition species like turtles, ducks, frogs, owls and many others rely on beaver ponds for homes or food. Finally, beaver ponds can filter and trap excess nutrients in water. With the "fur desert" policy of Simpson, generations of Americans have missed out on these benefits. Recently, the beaver population is on the rise due to conservation efforts all over the country.
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In 1850, settlers on Whidbey Island had major impacts on the native environment which they claimed for themselves. They introduced wheat and oats while making a large effort to stop the growth of native bracken plants. Settlers also introduced livestock foreign to the island, just as they were killing off the native wolf population. They marked out roads and private plots on the land, forever changing the face of the landscape.

This happened wherever white immigrants decided to settle. They killed off native plants and animals while introducing their own crops and animals. They marked up the land for roads and housing. The native environment was forever changed by the white settlers of the Pacific Northwest.

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The beginning of an operational transcontinental railroad system marked the end for most of the Pacific Northwest's bison population. The railways were ruthless in acquiring land, land that native bison called home. Ever growing towns and cities, due to easy access by railroads, kept growing and encroaching on bison land. Unfortunately, shooting bison from the train became popular and added to the startling decimation of this native animal. These things coupled with over hunting in the 1830's led to a sharp decrease in bison numbers.

Before white settlers, the bison population was estimated at between 15 and 60 million. By the end of the 19th century, bison were nearly extinct with a population of below one thousand! Through major conservation efforts, the population today is up to 200,000, that of which only 16,000 are free roaming.

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In February and March of 1843, settlers in Oregon met in what are now known as the Wolf Meetings. Settlers were tired of their livestock being attacked by wild animals. Without any sort of organized government in the territory, they were left to deal with it on their own. This lead to a vote at Champoeg a few months later, which narrowly sided with creating the grass-roots government. Settlers used the Iowa territorial laws, The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence and The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to form a provisional constitution and committee. This government lasted until 1848 when Congress approved an official territorial government.

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The Donation Land Claim Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1850. This government act promised each single white male citizen, 18 years of age and older, 320 acres of free land. If he became married before December 1st, 1851, his wife would receive another 320 acres of land for herself. In order to receive this land for free, you had to live on and cultivate the land for four years. This had a huge impact on white immigration to Oregon, and caused the familiar square plot pattern on the land which we can still see today.
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The Edmunds act of 1882 stopped polygamists from voting, serving as jurors when the case involved polygamy or holding any political office. This act led to the Idaho Test Oath which forced people to testify whether or not they were associated with the Mormon church. Anti-Mormon sentiment was prominent in the Republican party of Idaho where some corrupt individuals, whether they were against Mormonism or not, used it to elevate themselves in the powerful growing government.

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In 1828, the Hudson's Bay Company built the first sawmill in the Pacific Northwest. Located at Fort Vancouver, the sawmill was a watered powered operation positioned just north of the fort. Because Fort Vancouver was such a popular place to settle, there was a growing need for carpenters. Obviously the carpenters needed material, and at a faster and faster rate, thus the production of the mill was a necessary technology for Fort Vancouver. In addition to supplying the local area with lumbar, the sawmill was so successful that it was able to export the surplus to Hawaii and California. This was the start of an ever prospering timber industry in the Pacific Northwest.
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