BIOGRAPHY of ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS a Small Man of Large Ambition and Keen Intelligence, Isaac Stevens Made a Large Impact On
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"manifest destiny." Stevens returned to BIOGRAPHY OF the Corps of Engineers for a time, later ISAAC INGALLS STEVENS joining the newly established U.S. Coast Portrait of Isaac Stevens, first Governor of and Geodetic Survey. This was the Washington Territory (March 25, 1818— agency destined to map the nation and September 1, 1862). its newly acquired territories. Courtesy Washington State Historical Society. Stevens' Political Career Begins His active support of Democrat Franklin A small man of Pierce's 1852 candidacy for President large ambition launched his own political career. In 1853 and keen Stevens successfully applied to President intelligence, Pierce for the governorship of the new Isaac Stevens Washington Territory, a post that also made a large carried the title of Superintendent of impact on the military and political Indian Affairs. Not content with just two institutions of the 19th century. Although jobs, Stevens also lobbied for a position his family was among the earliest settlers with the proposed transcontinental of Andover and the Massachusetts Bay railroad survey. Secretary of War Colony, and played a prominent role in Jefferson Davis placed him in command colonial society, Stevens insisted that "he of the survey of the northern route. rose from humble but honest circumstances to win education, forge a Stevens's survey expedition left career, and emerge as a figure of national Minnesota in June 1853. The expedition prominence." was responsible for documenting the potential route of the railroad, and Education and Early Military recording information about the flora, Experience fauna, and the Native American tribes Following his education at Phillips whose homelands were being surveyed. Academy in Massachusetts, Stevens attended West Point Academy, where he Wasting no time, Governor Stevens graduated in 1839, first in his class. His quickly organized a territorial skills in mathematics, engineering, government, settled claims by the British- surveying, military strategy, and politics owned Hudson's Bay Company, expended earned him a job in the prestigious Corps $5,000 for books to set up a territorial of Engineers, a government agency library, and petitioned Congress for land responsible at that time for the largest on which to build a university. However, public works projects. it would be his duties as Superintendent of Indian Affairs that would truly define As an officer in the War with Mexico his long-term impact on the future State (1846-48), he had his first taste of of Washington. combat. He returned home with a commission promoting him to the rank of In June of 1854, leaving acting Governor major, and convinced of his country's Charles Mason and the new legislature in charge, Stevens returned to the nation's capital to lobby for money to cover the shops, carpenters, and medical care. In remaining debts from the railroad survey return, the United States acquired 2.5 expedition, and to secure funding for the million acres of tribal land. Indian treaty councils. He returned home with money to build military roads and Understandably pleased at the positive funding for the treaty councils. outcome of the Medicine Creek Treaty, Stevens prematurely speculated that if Stevens immediately plunged into the the whole treaty program proceeded as task of organizing the councils. He smoothly, all the tribes would soon be on intended to make treaties with the reservations. However, his lack of Indians to secure the necessary resources understanding of native culture led him to for building the railroad make some serious and to obtain land mistakes. He did not sought by the ever- understand that Indian increasing stream of leaders had limited powers settlers flowing into the to represent their tribes, region. His agents had nor did he recognize that already been visiting there would be resistance the various Indian to moving tribes, who had villages, selecting traditionally been individuals to represent enemies, onto a single each tribe. reservation. The Medicine Creek News of the western Council treaties had quickly On the day after passed to the eastern Christmas in 1854, Washington tribes, along Stevens held his first with sad tales from the treaty council at nation's interior and Medicine Creek in the eastern states concerning Nisqually Delta. The This pair of epaulets in a metal case once the plight of the tribes in Nisqually, Puyallup, belonged to Isaac Stevens. The epaulets are those regions. The made of board covered with fabric and leather. A Steilacoom, Squaxin, fringe made of coils of gold wire is attached Indians were aware that and other tribes, were around the outer edges. At the center of each their lands had been epaulet is the symbol of the U.S. Army Corps of informed in advance Engineers in the shape of a castle. Courtesy ceded, and that just of the upcoming Washington State Historical Society. compensation and the negotiations. They promised services had were anticipating fair payment for land not been received from the "Great settlers had already appropriated, and a Father" in Washington, DC. They were reservation of land that would sustain understandably wary of Stevens and the their families and future generations. treaty proceedings. What the tribes received were several The Walla Walla Council widely separated small reservations. Although the Nez Perce, traditionally These brought different tribal bands friendly to the whites, readily agreed to together, but allowed the tribes to attend the Walla Walla Council, the continue to fish, hunt, and gather food Yakama, Walla Walla, and Cayuse bands and other supplies in their usual were initially very reluctant to participate. accustomed places outside the Despite their misgivings, however, the reservations. The government also Council formally convened on May 29, pledged to provide schools, blacksmith 1855, with thousands of tribal members Nicandri, David L. Northwest Chiefs: Gustav Sohon's View of the 1855 Stevens Treaty Councils. Tacoma: in attendance. Washington State Historical Society, 1986. The Civil War When the Civil War broke out, Stevens offered his services to the Union government. He met his death fighting in the battle of Chantilly—the battle in which his son, Hazard, was also wounded—on September 1, 1862. Sources: Richards, Kent D. Isaac I. Stevens: Young Man in a Hurry. Pullman: Washington State University Press, 1993. Buerge, David M. "Big Little Man: Isaac Stevens (1818- 1861)," in David Brewster and David Buerge, eds., Washingtonians: A biographical Portrait of the State. Seattle: Sasquatch Books, 1988. .