Oregon became a territory in 1848 and a state in 1859. As more American settlers arrived in the 1840s seeking land, they established a provisional government to address safety issues from wildlife. Disputes over borders with Britain were settled with the Oregon Treaty of 1846. The Whitman Massacre and discovery of gold increased pressure on the U.S. to protect citizens and recognize Oregon. Statehood was approved after a constitution banned slavery but not African Americans, making Oregon the 33rd state.

1. Oregon Statehood
From Territory to State
Oregon Statehood:
From Territory to State
1843 - 1859

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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