Oregon Was Once a Slave State

Whaddya mean "was once"?

 

We may have been a slave territory, but to my knowledge we were never a state with slavery allowed. News to me!

 

The KKK used to be pretty active in Oregon, too.

http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=6BC64F73-1C23-B9D3-6844072A4F31B6AA

 

Damn, Sly. You need to change the heading. Oregon was never a slave state. When it was allowed statehood in 1859, it was with the condition that it would be a free state. Even the article you linked hints at the same. I am in agreement that there were a few slaves here, just as there were a few polygamists, and what ever else you want to throw into the mix. All in all, in my opinion, the writer makes a lot out of little.

 

Not being a slave state doesn't sound too much better than a state with a constitution that bans blacks.

 

Hahaha whatever..it does not make the statement true. Again, much ado about nothing.

 

good point..I know that until 1927 or so, (yeah, I am to lazy to look up the exact date) people of color were not allowed to own property, and strongly discouraged in seeking housing within the state. The influx into the Portland area was in a large part due to the second world war and the shortage of labor.

 

no, not at all. I am aware of Oregons historical biases. What I take issue with is the falseness of the heading. One could just as easily say that this was a polygamist state using the standard that he used.

 

It's "cracker wash."

Just sayin'.

 

I don't think the fellow has all is facts quite sorted.

"And I’m sure that was part of what kept Oregon so white for so long."

This conclusion has to be bogus.

The Black population of Oregon quadrupled from 1940 to 1950. Most of the people available worked in the Shipyards constructing ships during WWII, Many people migrated to Oregon
for those jobs, including Black people. Special housing was setup up for workers and families in places like Giles Lake, Kelloggs Park, Vanport, etc.
The flood of 1948 cleared a big chunk of this housing, the rest had to wait a couple more years before the eye sore was cleared.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_racial_and_ethnic_demographics_of_the_United_States

 

Sly, if you think that article is interesting then you may also want to read David R. Potter's book The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861.

 

Yeah. The historical museum downtown had an exhibit on this several years back. It was pretty interesting, actually. Portland was a hotbed of KKK activity, and was pretty much the KKK HQ west of the Mississippi River.

 

Don't question Sly. He knows. He was there.

(har har he's really old)

 

North Idaho says Hi!

 

No joke, I once found an old "Join The KKK" form folded in the cover of an old book in my junior high library.