A Civil War General Campaigns for Washington Statehood
Visiting General Negley argues passionately before a Seattle crowd that the Territory's economic growth and population size make it long overdue for statehood.
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General Negley addressed a large crowd in Seattle, advocating for Washington's admission as a state. He noted the vast expansion of the country from the Mississippi to the Pacific. 'With the great strength of this people, you have acquired this new country. Why should you not be a state? I believe every honest thinking man believes it entitled to be a state. It is certainly not the fault of your friends.' He praised the Territory's progress, citing 1,400,000 acres in farm and over 200 factories, noting that Washington had a larger population than several states had at the time of their own admission.
“Why, then, should you not be a State? I believe every honest thinking man believes it entitled to be a State.”
Negley’s stump speech highlights the late-territorial anxiety about self-governance and economic standing. The struggle for statehood in 1888 is a precursor to modern debates about D.C. or Puerto Rican statehood—the tension between federal oversight and local sovereignty.
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