Settlers Bring Disease and Misery

In 1836, two missionaries named Marcus and Narcissa Whitman settled among the Cayuse people in Washington State. The Whitman's quickly began planning for a settlement in the region and built a school, a grist mill, and began irrigating crops. Soon, nearly 1,000 settlers descended upon the region. The mass influx of settlers wreaked havoc on the Cayuse people. About half of the tribe was killed by an outbreak of measles. The Cayuse believed that the Whitman’s were responsible for the outbreak, and that Marcus Whitman was an evil shaman who wanted to kill the Cayuse so more settlers could come to the region. On November 29, 1847, Cayuse warriors killed 14 settlers, including Marcus and Narcissa Whitman. For several weeks, 53 women and children were held as prisoners. They were eventually released. The event came to be known as the Whitman Massacre.

Cayuse Land is Confiscated

The following year, a force of 500 militia men supported by the United States Army attacked the Cayuse and other tribes in central Oregon. Although the Cayuse were able to mount some resistance, most of them were driven into the wilderness of the Blue Mountains. In 1850, after two years of hiding in the mountains, the Cayuse decided to hand over five of its warriors to be tried for the murder of the Whitman’s. All five were quickly convicted and sentenced to be hanged. Within a couple of years, almost all Cayuse land was confiscated by the U.S. Government and opened to White settlement.

 

Discussion Questions

What were the goals of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman in settling among the Cayuse, and how did their presence impact the tribe? How did disease outbreaks like measles affect Native American communities during westward expansion, and why were missionaries sometimes blamed? What events led up to the Whitman Massacre, and how was it viewed by both settlers and Native Americans at the time? How did the U.S. government respond to the Whitman Massacre, and what were the long-term effects on the Cayuse people and their land?