The History of Washington

Washington became the 42nd state in 1889, after years as part of the Oregon Territory. Its economy and culture grew rapidly through logging, fishing, and later technology industries centered in Seattle.

Chinook

The Chinook people were skilled traders and canoe builders who lived along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. They developed complex trade networks and were known for their plank houses, social hierarchy, and the Chinook Jargon used for intertribal communication.

Salish Nation

The Salish Nation is a group of Indigenous peoples who have traditionally lived in the Pacific Northwest, including parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. They are known for their rich traditions of storytelling, beadwork, and respect for the natural world.

Nez Perce Nation

The Nez Perce are a Native American people from the Pacific Northwest, known for their horse culture and skilled craftsmanship. They are also remembered for their resistance during the 1877 Nez Perce War, when Chief Joseph led his people on a long journey toward freedom.

The Travels of George Vancouver

George Vancouver explored the Pacific coast of North America from California to Alaska in the late 1700s. He carefully mapped the coastline and claimed territories for Britain, greatly expanding knowledge of the region.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from 1804 to 1806, was a journey to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Their expedition provided valuable maps, scientific data, and strengthened American claims to the western lands.

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny was the 19th-century belief that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory across North America. It was used to justify westward expansion, the displacement of Native Americans, and wars such as the Mexican-American War.

Oregon Trail

The Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile route that pioneers traveled from Missouri to Oregon in the mid-1800s. Families faced many hardships along the way, including rough terrain, disease, and harsh weather.

The Oregon Territory

The Oregon Territory was a region in the Pacific Northwest that included present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. It was jointly claimed by the United States and Great Britain until the 1846 Treaty of Oregon established the U.S. border at the 49th parallel.

Cayuse War and Whitman Massacre

The Cayuse War was a conflict between the Cayuse tribe and U.S. settlers and that began after the Whitman Massacre in 1847, when the Cayuse killed missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. In response, the U.S. military and local militias attacked the tribe, executed five Cayuse warriors, and took most of the tribe’s land.