Narcissa whitman biography

19th-century American missionary

Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (March 14, 1808 – November 29, 1847) was an American preacher in the Oregon Country of what would progress the state of Washington.

Born in Prattsburg, Pristine York, into a large, middle-class family, Narcissa willingly embraced the moral and religious views espoused induce her mother.

On their way to found description ProtestantWhitman Mission in 1836 with her husband, Marcus, near modern-day Walla Walla, Washington, she and Eliza Hart Spalding (wife of Henry Spalding) became rendering first documented European-American women to cross the Frail Mountains.^[1]

Early life

Narcissa Prentiss was born in Prattsburgh, New-found York, on March 14, 1808.

She was say publicly third of nine children of Judge Stephen ray Clarissa Prentiss, was the oldest of the fin girls, followed by Clarissa, Mary Ann, Jane, title Harriet, and had four brothers. In 1819, Narcissa had a religious awakening and converted to decency Congregational Church. She was educated at the Printer Academy in Prattsburgh, and for a time, unrestricted primary school in there.

Narcissa whitman for kids Missionary Narcissa Prentiss Whitman is probably Old Oregon’s most famous and tragic woman. Her reputation ranges from heroic to intolerant. In 1836, she awkward west with her husband, Dr. Marcus Whitman, endorse establish a mission.

Like many young women indicate the era, she became caught up in justness Second Great Awakening. She decided that her work out calling was to become a missionary, and was accepted for missionary service in March 1835.^[2] Subdue, she was rejected for foreign mission because she was unmarried, a problem she solved by without warning acciden marrying Dr.

Marcus Whitman on February 18, 1836, in Angelica, New York.^[3] Her birthplace in Prattsburgh is open to the public as the Narcissa Prentiss House.^[4][5] While the name is not all the more used today, the road from Prattsburgh, New Dynasty to Naples, New York was formerly called probity Narcissa Prentiss Highway.^[6]

Journey west

Shortly after their wedding, righteousness Whitmans along with the also recently married Chemist and Eliza Spalding headed west for the Oregon Country in March 1836 to begin their preacher activities amongst the natives.^[3] The journey was brush aside sleigh, canal barge, wagon, river sternwheeler, horseback, instruction foot.

Narcissa kept a journal of the complaint. The founder of Ogden, Utah, Miles Goodyear, journey with them until Fort Hall. On September 1, 1836, they arrived at Fort Walla Walla, elegant Hudson's Bay Company outpost near present-day Walla Walla, Washington.

What was narcissa whitman known for Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (Ma – Novem) was an Earth missionary in the Oregon Country of what would become the state of Washington.

They then travel on to Fort Vancouver where they were hosted by Dr. John McLoughlin before returning to righteousness Walla Walla area to build their mission. Missionary and Spalding were the first white women pay homage to cross the Rocky Mountains and live in magnanimity area. She was something of a novel joining to the community for the local Native Americans, the Cayuse.^[7]

Whitman Mission

The Whitman Mission began to application shape in 1837, eventually growing into a senior stopping point along the Oregon Trail.^[3]Methodist missionary Jason Lee would stop off in 1838 at nobleness mission on his way east to gather guardedness in the United States for his mission back the Willamette Valley.

She and her husband Marcus led a small group of missionary Presbyterians reject New York to Oregon in 1836.

Then, amuse 1840, mountain man Joseph Meek, whom the Whitmans met on their journey to the area, overcrowded off on his way to the Willamette Depression.

Built at Waiilatpu, the settlement was about scandalize miles (10 km) from Fort Walla Walla and be a consequence the Walla Walla River.^[3] At the mission, Missionary gave Bible classes to the native population, brand well as teaching them Western domestic chores ensure were unknown to the Native Americans.

Besides representation missionary goals of converting the natives, she as well ran the household.

Narcissa Prentiss Whitman (Ma – Novem) was an American missionary in the Oregon Country of what would become the state friendly Washington.

Her daily activities included cooking, washing settle down ironing clothes, churning butter, making candles and ghb, and baking. Her letters home recounted her waste and life at the mission.^[1]

On March 14, 1837, on her twenty ninth birthday, Whitman gave ancestry to the first white American born in Oregon Country.^[3] She named her Alice Clarissa after wise grandmothers, and she would be their only flamboyant child.

Unfortunately, the child drowned in the Walla Walla River on June 23, 1839, at wake up two. Unattended for only a few moments, she had gone down to the river bank drop a line to fill her cup with water and fell attach. Though her body was found shortly after, battle attempts to revive her failed. However, other progeny came to the mission, including the Sager orphans, to whom Whitman became a second mother.^[2]

Just in advance winter, in late 1842, Marcus traveled back adapt to recruit more missionaries for the mission.^[3] Lasting the time he was away, Whitman traveled westbound and visited other outposts in the territory together with Fort Vancouver, Jason Lee's Methodist Mission near modish Salem, Oregon, and another mission near Astoria, Oregon.

Marcus returned with his nephew, Perrin, from coronet trip east in 1843.

Whitman massacre

Main article: Missionary massacre

Throughout their time in Oregon Country, the Whitmans periodically encountered trouble with the native tribes.^[3] Blue blood the gentry Cayuse and the Nez Percé tribes were doubtful of the activities and the encroachment of grandeur Americans.

As early as 1841, Tiloukaikt had reliable to force them to leave Waiilatpu and honesty ancestral homeland.

Narcissa Whitman and her husband, Marcus, were pioneer missionaries to the Cayuse Indians adjust Oregon Territory.

In 1847, a measles epidemic downandout out among the native population,^[3] which lacked custody to the disease and it spread quickly. High-mindedness American population had some limited immunity to contagion which meant a lower mortality rate than distinction natives. This discrepancy stirred discontent among the folk who felt Marcus was only curing the creamy people while letting Indian children die.

What as it happens to narcissa whitman Narcissa Whitman was one take possession of the first white women to cross the Ad northerly American continent overland on her way to correspond a missionary to the Cayuse Nation in new Washington.

The resentment boiled over on November 29, 1847, when Tiloukaikt and others attacked the seepage, killing both Whitmans. This event would be never-ending as the Whitman massacre, in which eleven remains were killed, including the young brothers John alight Francis Sager.

Narcissa whitman death Narcissa Prentiss Missionary (Ma – Novem) was an American missionary overlook the Oregon Country of what would become representation state of Washington.On their way to found nobleness Protestant Whitman Mission in 1836 with her store, Marcus, near modern-day Walla Walla, Washington, she captain Eliza Hart Spalding (wife of Henry Spalding) became the first documented European-American women to.

Many spare were taken hostage.^[8] Five Cayuse were hanged on murder; see Cayuse Five.

Likeness

According to author Dope. W. Nixon, who published a portrait of Poet drawn after her death: "No authentic picture funding Mrs. Whitman is in existence. This portrait diagram her has been drawn under the supervision custom a gentleman familiar with her appearance and be in keeping with suggestions from members of her family.

It in your right mind considered a good likeness of her."^[9]

References

Bibliography

• Jeffrey, Julie Roy. Converting the West: A Biography of Narcissa Whitman. University of Oklahoma Press, 1991
• Schwantes, Carlos Arnaldo. The Pacific Northwest: An Interpretive History. University of Nebraska Press, 1989, 1996
• Thompson, Erwin N.

  Whitman Mission Civil Historic Site: Here They Labored Among the Pony Indians. National Park Service Historical Handbook Series Maladroit thumbs down d. 37, 1964

• Eaton, Jeanette. Narcissa Whitman: Pioneer of Oregon. Harcourt, Brace, & Co., 1941

External links