John Beeson

John Beeson
BornSeptember 18, 1803
Nottinghamshire, England
Died1889 (aged 85–86)
Talent, Oregon
Occupation(s)Abolitionist, Native American advocate
Notable workA Plea for the Indians
Children1

John Beeson (1803 – 1889) was a British-American abolitionist and early Native American advocate. He authored A Plea for the Indians in 1857.[1]

Background

Beeson was born in Nottinghamshire, England on September 18, 1803. He emigrated to the United States in 1830 and settled in Ithaca, New York.[2] In 1833, he moved to a farm in La Salle County Illinois, just southwest of the town of Ottawa, Illinois.[2] His farm was a station on the Underground Railroad.[3] In 1853, he relocated to southern Oregon with his wife and son, settling in Talent, Oregon.[3][4]

During the Rogue River Wars, Beeson was an outspoken advocate for the Indians. In 1855 he ran for the Oregon Territorial Legislature as likely the first Republican candidate in the Oregon Territory. He campaigned against slavery and championed the rights of Black and Indigenous people.[5] Unsurprisingly garnered a tiny fraction of the votes.[6] Beeson was eventually forced to leave town on May 23, 1856.[4][7]

Beeson did not return to Oregon for nearly a decade, and published A Plea for the Indians. He traveled extensively throughout the eastern United States, giving lectures and advocating Indian rights.[4] After the American Civil War, Beeson traveled to Portland, Oregon before his death dear Wagner Creek in Talent, Oregon.[8]

References

  1. ^ Beeson, John (1994). Webber, Bert (ed.). John Beeson's plea for the Indians : his lone cry in the wilderness for Indian rights : Oregon's first civil-rights advocate (First ed.). Medford, Oregon: Webb Research Group. p. 80. ISBN 0-936738-80-4.
  2. ^ a b "Beeson, Welborn, 1836-1893 | Southern Oregon Historical Society Library". Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
  3. ^ a b Beeson, Welborn (1993). Webber, Bert (ed.). The Oregon & Applegate Trail Diary of Welborn Beeson in 1853 (Second ed.). Medford, Oregon: Webb Research Group. p. 80. ISBN 0-936738-21-9.
  4. ^ a b c Lang, William L. "John Beeson". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Oregon Historical Society. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  5. ^ John Beeson, A Plea for the Indians, with Facts and Features of the Late War in Oregon, (New York: Published by John Beeson, 1859), page 83
  6. ^ Jan Wright, Oregon Outcast: John Beeson's Struggle for Justice for the Indians, 1853-1889, (Copyright Jan Wright, 2018) pages 47-69
  7. ^ W. L. Adams, ed. (June 14, 1856). "Mr. John Beeson". The Oregon Argus. Oregon City, Oregon Territory. p.2 col.1 bul.4. Retrieved April 13, 2018. Mr. John Beeson is now in this city. He informs us he left...
  8. ^ "John Beeson (1803-1889)". oregonencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2020-07-20.


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