The Whitman Massacre took place on November 29th, 1847.

The killings of Marcus Whitman, his wife, and eleven others is also referred to as the Tragedy at Waiilatpu by the National Park Service. The attack lasted several days, with most of the killings taking place on the first day.

KMGWFM logo
Get our free mobile app

What led up to the attack on the Whitman's?

In 1836 Marcus Whitman M.D. and his wife Narcissa Prentiss Whitman started a Protestant mission on Cayuse land near the Walla Walla River at Waiilatpu. The Cayuses and Whitmans were cordial at one time. Tribal members celebrated the birth of the Whitman's daughter, Alice Clarissa in 1837. In 1839, Alice Clarissa drowned.

Whitman turned away from helping the tribe to supporting white settlers.

The Cayuse Indians watched in dismay as thousands of settlers traveled through their country using up firewood and killing game without permission. The Cayuses wanted the Whitmans and settlers to leave.

An epidemic of measles broke out in the community.

Nearly half of the Indian population living near the Whitman Mission died. While more than a dozen white people became ill, only died. Whitman was called to treat the wife of a Cayuse head chief. The chief told Whitman he would kill him if his wife died. She survived, but others didn't.

The attack on Whitman Mission occurred on November 29th, 1847.

A group of Cayuses armed with clubs tomahawks, and guns pushed their way into the Mission. Marcus Whitman was attacked with a tomahawk plunged into the back of his head. By nightfall, 9 people were dead, including the Whitmans. Narcissa was shot.

You can read in detail about the Whitman Massacre here.

How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns

Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection’s cultural significance and legacy along the way.

Historic cities: 10 metros with the oldest homes

New Jersey Real Estate Network collected U.S. Census Bureau data to understand which metro regions have the most old homes, which include houses built in 1949 or earlier.

LOOK: What 25 Historic Battlefields Look Like Today

The following is an examination of what became of the sites where America waged its most important and often most brutal campaigns of war. Using a variety of sources, Stacker selected 25 historically significant battlefields in American history. For each one, Stacker investigated what happened there when the battles raged as well as what became of those hallowed grounds when the fighting stopped.

These are the battlefields that defined the United States military’s journey from upstart Colonial rebels to an invincible global war machine.

More From KMGWFM