Organization

United States Congress

Named in 31 stories. Back to all names

Feb 18, 1854The President's Vision for the RepublicFranklin Pierce delivers an annual message outlining trade, territory, and the state of the American Union in 1853.Olympia, WA
Aug 23, 1862Federal Crackdown on Alcohol Sales in Indian CountryNew legislation expands enforcement powers to seize wagons, teams, and goods used in the illegal spirit trade on tribal lands.Olympia, WA
Aug 23, 1862The End of the 'Coolie Trade'A new federal law moves to criminalize the transportation of indentured Chinese laborers on American ships.Olympia, WA
Jun 16, 1876The Sugar Rush: Seattle's Pacific Ambitions in 1876A century and a half ago, Seattle business leaders were banking on a trade treaty with Hawaii to turn the city into the West Coast’s sugar refining capital.Seattle, WA
Dec 2, 1876Washington Territory Moves Toward a Constitutional ConventionBefore Washington became a state, residents debated the necessity of a constitutional convention and the potential riches of federal land grants.Seattle, WA
Feb 19, 1877The Futility of Policing MoralityAn 1877 editorial from the Puget Sound region challenges the effectiveness of prohibitionists attempting to legislate temperance via 'paper petitions.'Seattle, WA
Oct 20, 1877The Struggle for the Pacific Northwest’s Iron BackboneAs the Northern Pacific Railroad languished in 1877, the Governor of Washington Territory demanded the company fulfill its land grant promises to break the cycle of land speculation and stagnation.Snohomish, WA
Oct 20, 1877Debating the Northern Railroad's Route to Puget SoundAs the Northern Pacific Railroad eyed a Portland terminus to maximize its land grants, a fierce editorial demands the company fulfill its promise to connect the Columbia River to Puget Sound or forfeit its territory.Snohomish, WA
Dec 22, 1877The President's Vision for ReconstructionIn an era of deep national division, President Rutherford B. Hayes addresses Congress on the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, the restoration of civil order, and his hope for the rights of the newly emancipated.Snohomish, WA
Jan 26, 1878The Black Pall Over Washington’s FutureA proposed decade-long extension for the Northern Pacific Railroad threatens to monopolize the territory's vast timber and mineral wealth while stifling independent settlement.Seattle, WA
May 10, 1880Taxation Without Infrastructure: The Skagit River Fight of 1880While Washington Territory sent tax dollars to Washington D.C., federal officials offered little in return, forcing local residents to build their own river infrastructure.Skagit River, Mount Vernon, WA
Mar 16, 1884The Struggle for Statehood and a New NameThomas H. Brents advocates for Washington statehood while grappling with the inconvenient identity of the 'Washington' namesake.Seattle, WA
Apr 9, 1884Whitman County Farmers Declare 'War' on Northern Pacific MonopolyProtesting settlers in Eastern Washington demand Congress seize 'unearned' lands from a 'soulless corporation' accused of land-grabbing and labor exploitation.Colfax, WA
Jul 18, 1884The Fight to Reclaim Northern Pacific LandsA Senate committee report argues that the Northern Pacific Railroad failed its contractual obligations, leaving millions of acres of public land ripe for forfeiture.Seattle, WA
Jan 11, 1885The Rising Power of the Common CitizenA look at the growing influence of public opinion against the encroachment of corporate monopolies in late 19th-century American politics.Seattle, WA
Jan 1, 1886The Struggle for Water in the High DesertWhile Washington’s coastal regions flourished, homesteaders in the arid eastern interior were driven to desperation by the failure of deep-well drilling in Douglas County.Douglas County, WA
Feb 12, 1886The Great Land Reclaim: The Fight Over Northern Pacific’s Unearned RailsA legislative push in 1886 aimed to strip the Northern Pacific Railroad of vast swaths of public land it held but failed to build upon, seeking to return it to settlers.Seattle, WA
Apr 18, 1886The Settler's Plight: Caught in the Crosshairs of Territorial LawWhile Washington settlers face prosecution for working their land, Congress remains fixated on minor bureaucratic slights, ignoring the plight of the territories.Seattle, WA
May 16, 1886Committee Upholds Northern Pacific Railroad Land GrantA government committee weighs in on whether the Northern Pacific Railroad forfeited its massive land grant by failing to meet construction deadlines.Seattle, WA
Mar 4, 1887The Forgotten Map: When North Idaho Was Seattle’s NeighborFor years, North Idaho residents pushed to break away from their own state and join Washington Territory, citing geographic reality and political isolation.Seattle, WA
May 27, 1888Riot in Port Townsend: Citizens vs. Sailors on the Verge of ViolenceA tense standoff erupts as local citizens arm themselves to prevent Coast Seamen's Union members from boarding the steamer Sumatra, leading to arrests and imminent bloodshed.Port Townsend, WA
Aug 4, 1888The Economic Anxiety of the 1888 Seattle Labor MarketA century and a half ago, Seattle’s labor leaders were already wrestling with the volatile intersection of rapid immigration, wage standards, and protectionist sentiment.Seattle, WA
Mar 7, 1889The Path to Statehood: Washington Territory Prepares for UnionCongressional mandate sets the stage for a constitutional convention, marking the end of territorial status and the beginning of Washington as a state.Olympia, WA
Sep 4, 1889The Smoke That Choked the SoundAs Seattle rebuilds from its Great Fire, a more insidious disaster—the annual torching of Washington’s vast forests—threatens the region’s economic future.Seattle, WA
Oct 11, 1889Navy Yard Confirmed for Port OrchardA Congressional commission ends deliberation on the Pacific Coast site, settling on Kitsap County.Port Orchard, WA
Feb 22, 1891The Squatter-Citizens of Port AngelesBefore Port Angeles was fully incorporated, a determined association of residents occupied government land to force federal recognition and protect their homes from wealthy speculators.Port Angeles, WA
Apr 14, 1892The Geary Act and America's Broken PromisesAn 1892 editorial confronts the xenophobic legislative push to abrogate treaties with China, highlighting the hypocrisy of American foreign policy.Seattle, WA
May 17, 1892New Federal Law Targets Chinese ResidentsA harsh new congressional act forces Chinese laborers to prove their identity and secure certificates of residency or face deportation and hard labor.Seattle, WA
Aug 30, 1892Seattle Throws Its Hat in the Ring for a Federal Gun WorksWashington, Oregon and California are all angling for the new Pacific coast ordnance factory, and Seattle is already lobbying — with Senator Squire arguing that Puget Sound's new dry dock settles the matter.Seattle, WA
Dec 22, 1911The Price of Patriotism: Why Congress Ignores Its Own WorkersThe Everett Labor Journal skewers federal lawmakers for posturing over international crises while blocking life-saving safety legislation for American laborers.Everett, WA
Aug 25, 1916Federal Funds Granted for Forest Roads in WashingtonWashington state secures over $91,000 for national forest road construction, contingent on matching local investment.Coulee City, WA