1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Welcome Back everyone. I'm Eves and you're listening 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class, a show where we 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: peel back a new layer of history every day. Today 5 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: is November nineteen. The day was November eighty seven, members 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: of the Kayus Native American tribe murdered missionaries Marcus Whitman 7 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: and Narcissa Whitman, along with eleven other people. The Whitman Massacre, 8 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: as it became known, marked the beginning of the Kyuse War, 9 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: a conflict between the Kayus people and the US government 10 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: and American frontiers people. In eighteen thirty six, Marcus and 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: Narcissa Whitman founded the Whitman Mission among the Cayus near 12 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: present day Walla Walla, Washington. It was the second Protestant 13 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: mission in the Oregon Country, a region between the Pacific 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: Ocean and the Rocky Mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The 15 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: Woodman's built up the mission over the years, but tensions 16 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: escalated between the missionaries and the Caius. The Caius refused 17 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: to ben to Marcus's will and become full time farmers, 18 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: weren't interested in learning from the Woodman's and did not 19 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: care about Christianity. The Caius also maintained that since the 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 1: Woodman's built the mission on their land, they were obligated 21 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: to give them goods, but in the tribe members eyes, 22 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: Marcus wasn't fulfilling his obligations. Aware of the Woodman Missions, 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: struggled with the Caius and with money. The American Board 24 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: of Commissioners for Foreign Missions even ordered the mission to 25 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: close in eighteen forty two, though the board later rescinded 26 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 1: its order. The mission soon became a place where immigrants 27 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: on the Oregon Trail stopped to rest, gather supplies, and 28 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: receive care and treatment. As more people moved west, there 29 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: was an influx of white immigrants in the area. The 30 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: Jyus were aware of the harmful effect the arrival of 31 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: white populations was having on Native American tribes in other places. 32 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: They brought with them disease, and in eighteen forty seven, 33 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: an epidemic of measles killed half the Cayu's people. The 34 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: Cayus were hungry, sick, and unhappy with how stingy Marcus 35 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: was in his trading, and Marcus was unable to keep 36 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: the epidemic under control for the Cayus, even though he 37 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 1: had been caring for white and Native American people who 38 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: had been affected. They believed that Marcus, as a doctor 39 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,679 Speaker 1: and religious leader, was essentially killing their families to make 40 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: room for more white immigrants. This was not unprecedented, as 41 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: Native Americans in the Northwest had been threatened with germ warfare, 42 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,799 Speaker 1: and their beliefs about the power white people had over 43 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: medicine was exploited. On November eighteen forty seven, a group 44 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,359 Speaker 1: of Cayus tribesmen attacked the Woodman Mission, which was sheltering 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: dozens of people, mostly immigrants. They killed thirteen people, including 46 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: Narcissa and Marcus. They destroyed most of the buildings at 47 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: the mission and held around fifty women and children captive 48 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: for weeks. Two children died and the other captives were ransomed. 49 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: Historians agreed that the Cayus were defending their tribe since 50 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: the Cayus believed that Marcus was allowing measles to spread 51 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: among them. News of the massacre reached Washington, d c. 52 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 1: In eighteen forty eight, and Congress responded by establishing the 53 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: Oregon Territory that August, the Provisional Legislature of Oregon and 54 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: Governor George Abernathy authorized volunteers to go to war against 55 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: the Cayus, and a unit of volunteers was dispatched to 56 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: the Dows. Fighting soon broke out and the Cayus War 57 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: continued sporadically for several years. The war did not turn 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: out well for the Cayus. I'm Eve Stepcote and hopefully 59 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: you know a little more about history today than you 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,119 Speaker 1: did yesterday. Feel free to share your thoughts or your 61 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: innermost feelings with us and with other listeners on social 62 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: media at t d i h C podcast, and you 63 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: can email us at this Day at i heart media 64 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: dot com. Thanks for listening to today's episode. We'll see 65 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, 66 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 67 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.