Table of Contents
- 1 Why did the Whitmans come to the Pacific Northwest?
- 2 When did Narcissa Whitman move to Oregon?
- 3 Why did missionaries come to the Pacific Northwest?
- 4 Why did the missionaries travel west?
- 5 Why did Marcus and Narcissa Whitman go to Oregon?
- 6 Did Marcus Whitman go on the Oregon Trail?
- 7 What did the Whitmans do on the Oregon Trail?
- 8 Why did Narcissa Whitman make the leap to Oregon?
Why did the Whitmans come to the Pacific Northwest?
On February 19, 1836 — one day after their wedding — missionaries Marcus Whitman (1802-1847) and Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (1808-1847) begin a seven-month, 3,000-mile journey from New York State to the Pacific Northwest. Their goal is to Christianize and “civilize” Indians in what is then known as Oregon Country.
Why did the missionaries travel to the Oregon Territory?
The Oregon missionaries were pioneers who settled in the Oregon Country of North America starting in the 1830s dedicated to bringing Christianity to local Native Americans. Either way this inspired Christian missionaries to travel to the Oregon Territory.
When did Narcissa Whitman move to Oregon?
1836
Missionary Narcissa Prentiss Whitman is probably Old Oregon’s most famous and tragic woman. Her reputation ranges from heroic to intolerant. In 1836, she moved west with her husband, Dr.
Why was Marcus Whitman important to the Oregon Trail?
On November 29, 1847, the Indians attacked, killing 14 whites, including the Whitmans, and kidnapping 53 women and children. The Whitman Massacre directed national attention to the difficulties faced by settlers in the Far West and contributed to early passage of a bill to organize the Oregon Territory (1848).
Why did missionaries come to the Pacific Northwest?
Like explorers and fur traders, missionaries constituted another group of observers who acquainted eastern audiences with the Pacific Northwest. Both Protestant and Catholic missions came to the region in the 1830s and 1840s for the express purpose of converting Native Americans to Christianity.
What did the Whitman’s do?
The 1847 murders of frontier missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman near the confluence of the Columbia and Walla Walla Rivers brought the Oregon Territory under tighter American control and set off a chain of events that forced the Columbia Plateau Indians onto reservations.
Why did the missionaries travel west?
Missionaries moved west to convert American Indians to Christianity. Crossing the steep Rocky Mountain terrain in wagons was difficult, but proved that women were capable of making the journey. The missionaries were sometimes attacked by hostile Indian warriors.
Why did the missionaries come to North America?
Missionaries themselves were motivated by the desire to construct the Americas as the site of pure Christianity. Many clergy ventured to the Americas to preach what they felt was a purer form of Christianity, and to redeem the souls of the indigenous peoples.
Why did Marcus and Narcissa Whitman go to Oregon?
What is Narcissa Whitman known for?
Narcissa Whitman (1808-1847) traveled some 3,000 miles from her home in upstate New York to Oregon Country. She was the first white woman to cross the Rocky Mountains in 1836 on her way to found the Whitman Mission among the Cayuse Indians near modern day Walla Walla, Washington.
Did Marcus Whitman go on the Oregon Trail?
In the winter of 1842 Whitman went back east, returning the following summer with the first large wagon train across the Oregon Trail….
| Marcus Whitman | |
|---|---|
| Died | November 30, 1847 (aged 45) Waiilatpu, Oregon Country |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Education | Fairfield Medical College |
| Spouse(s) | Narcissa Prentiss |
Why is Whitman Mission important?
A rest stop along the historic Oregon Trail, the Whitman Mission was the site of the 1847 massacre that played a key role in America’s westward expansion. What was initially a mission to Christianize American Indians soon became the center of a bloody clash of cultures between white settlers and American Indian tribes.
What did the Whitmans do on the Oregon Trail?
The Whitmans eventually settled and built a mission in eastern Washington at Waiilatpu where they focused on ministering to the Cayuse Indian tribe. Differences in culture led to growing tensions and as the mission became more important as a stop along the Oregon Trail, passing immigrants added to the tension.
What was the significance of the Whitman Massacre?
Whitman massacre. The event was the climax of several years of complex interaction between Whitman, who had helped lead the first wagon train to cross Oregon’s Blue Mountains and reach the Columbia River via the Oregon Trail, his wife and fellow missionary Narcissa, and the local Native Americans.
Why did Narcissa Whitman make the leap to Oregon?
This led to the Whitman Massacre, resulting in the government taking more precautions against Indian attacks on the unknowing pioneers. But in our lesson series you will learn what caused Narcissa to make the huge leap towards Oregon as an effort to convert the Indians to Christianity.
Where did Walt Whitman lead the wagon train?
Whitman had helped lead the first wagon train to cross Oregon’s Blue Mountains and reach the Columbia River via the Oregon Trail, and this incident was the climax of several years of complex interaction between him and the local Native Americans.