The Politics of Oregon History: An Introduction to OHQ's Statehood Sesquicentennial Series

Abstract

ROBERT D. JOHNSTON The Politics of Oregon History An Introductionto OHQ's Statehood Sesquicentennial Series IN 1959, THE Oregon Historical Quarterly remained, as ithad been for decades, an active celebrant of the state's pioneer past. Surprisingly, though, the journal did not takemuch formal notice of the centennial of Oregon statehood. When itcame time tomeditate on the big anniversary, powerful editor Thomas Vaughn turned not to a historian, but rather to a poet, to do the honors. From far-offHarvard, David McCord waxed lyrical about the wonders of theOregon Country. In three short paragraphs of a kind of prose poem, McCord invoked all kinds ofmythical wonders. From "the world's most famous trail" to "two decisive mountain ranges," from "rhapsodic Crater Lake" to "the majestic sweep of the Columbia River ... at Crown Point," Oregon was glorious. Naturally. While there were "desolate" areas that had produced "despair" for the squatter, such rain rarely intruded on the state's sunny historical parade. Even human relations were simple, and happy, for "the people everywhere are neighbors and friendly."McCord could conclude in only one majestic, rhapsodic, way: "How tremendous ? 'Where rolls theOregon!'"1 In 2009, there remains much for us to celebrate inOregon's heritage. Over the past fiftyyears, however, the state's historical institutions and scholars of the state's history have become considerably more reflective and self-conscious about themeaning of their responsibility forOregon's past. In good part, that isbecause the story of the state's history ? the big storyline that provides the foundational bass line for each new article and book ? has become much more complex, interesting, and critical. OHQ vol. no, no. 1 ? 2009 Oregon Historical Society Cities do not intrudeon theseal of thestateofOregon. (Nor,for thatmatter, does rain.) The sun sets gorgeously behind the mountains, as well as over the state's major extractive industries(timber,agriculture,andfisheries). Yet,while economics and livelihood seem to trumpall, thereis room in thesealforpolitics. The only words within thecentral shield,The Union, may seem innocuous todaybut in the nineteenthcentury pointed toward thedistinctlyanti-slavery ideologyof'free soil, free labor,and freemen? The addition ofOregon in 1859as the thirty-third state (note thenumber ofstars)was a significant moment in therun-up to theCivilWar. The state seal replaced twoprevious versions,onefor theprovisional government (1843-1849) and onefor the territorial government (1849-1857).The members of the state constitutional conventionappointed a committee todesign theseal,which was adopted twoyears beforestatehood.Tellingly, thenew state seal erased the Native American who had servedas theonly human presence in the territorialseal. Johnston, The Politics ofOregon History 39 Historians, more than any other scholars, should know how dangerous it is to congratulate ourselves on our current enlightenment. We understand thatwe, too,will be judged, and perhaps even condemned, for our weak nesses, failures, and blindnesses. That said,we should be proud of our recent ability to discover anew the richness, complexity, and pleasures of the past in the Beaver State. Above all,we no longer need to look at history solely as the study of surface fireworks: the deadly wars, the dramatic elections, the lives of great individuals. Instead, we have begun to look in compelling and even captivating ways at some of the deep structures of our past.We can try tofigure out how, for instance, a changing relationship between countryside and cityhas produced modern-day Oregonians, as have the continuities and dramatic transformations of thehistory of the environment. We can explore how family and gender relations, in ever-continuing transition, have influ enced landscapes of personal identity as well as the possibilities of citizen ship inmodern Oregon. And we can examine the lives of relatively ordinary individuals along with the high and mighty, sowe can seemore vividly how Oregon has always been a land of varied people and experiences.2 TO CONTINUE THIS revitalized exploration of thestudy of the Oregon past iswhat we hope to accomplish in this special OHQ series dedicated to the 150th anniversary ofOregon statehood, what we are calling the "Statehood Sesquicentennial Series." In the four issues of volume no of the Quarterly (throughout 2009), series articles will range throughout the state's past, illuminating some dark corners of Oregon history as well as shining new...