Tag Archives: Joseph Lane

TERRITORIAL OREGON – IN THE THRALL OF THE SALEM CLIQUE

Posted on by
Reply
Shirt commemorates one of the election slogans of James K. Polk in 1844.

With the Cayuse War, the federal government finally acted in Washington, D.C., 18 August 1848, to develop an official form of government over the region of the Oregon Country transferred to American control by the Oregon Treaty of 1846 officially ending the awkward condominium shared with Great Britain since 1818.  The new territorial government ushered in new power brokers – aka the Salem Clique – to administer the political machine during the next decade. This setting the stage for a Statehood granted 14 February 1859 with war clouds gathering furiously back in the East.

Continue reading →

PROVISIONAL OREGON – GOVERNMENT ON THE HEELS OF WHEELS

Posted on by
Reply
Oregon Country 1818-1846.

As school children, we bused out on field trips to Champoeg State Park to see where Oregon was “born”.  Most of us kids had little idea of the events which transpired here.  We, like our parents, also lack a fundamental knowledge of a history of the times in which the meetings and subsequent events took place.  The Provisional Government of Oregon simply did not mean much then or later. 

But Champoeg gave the Northwest got its first version of a Eurocentric government.  The United States and England decided to agree to not agree in 1818 forming a condominium of political control over the vast region.  A major problem with the agreement, no mention made of internal government.  That was not much of a problem when the only Europeans in the region were busy searching for animal pelts.  However, events took a big turn as the 1830’s became the 1840’s and American settlers began coming onto the scene.

Continue reading →

PLAYERS OF THE CAYUSE WAR REVISITED

Posted on by
Reply
Cayuse men on horseback – from Lee Moorhouse photo collection – University of Oregon Special Digital Collections; photo is from about 1900.

Warfare erupted from the killings of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman at their mission along the Walla Walla River at Waiilatpu.  Like most wars, they are easier to extinguish than to begin.  Here are some of those involved with the Cayuse War, a “war” having grievous results for the Natives belonging to the Cayuse peoples and directly transforming the state of government in the Pacific Northwest.

Continue reading →

JAMES NESMITH – PIONEER TO THE SENATE – FORGOTTEN OREGON GIANT

Posted on by
Reply
Final resting place of James W. Nesmith
Final resting place of James W. Nesmith

Oregon in its early days featured many folks who by today’s standards would score very low with Political Correctness points.  James Willis Nesmith falls into that category, but with some redeeming qualities.  One of Oregon’s first politicians, his time began with the Provisional Government, extending through the Territorial period well into Oregon’s early Statehood years.  A member of the so-called Salem Clique, a group of Democratically inclined politicians who were prominent in that era, Nesmith outlasted the Clique’s breakup with the Civil War, serving as one of Oregon’s senators through the war years. 

He was one of only eight Democratic senators – four Border State Democrats and four Union Democrats – to vote in favor of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery.  He abstained from the senate vote on the 14th allowing equal rights to all citizens under the law.  Here, he was following the lead of President Andrew Johnson, a fellow Unionist.  His allegiance to his fellow Democrat would cost him in the years to come.

Continue reading →