Most people only know that Narcissa Whitman was the first of two women to travel the Oregon Trail and establish a mission in the state of Washington. Her and her husband did what they could to reach the Indians, but unfortunately the Native tribe was decreased in numbers dramatically by the measles. This led to the Whitman Massacre, resulting in the government taking more precautions against Indian attacks on the unknowing pioneers.

But in our lesson series you will learn what caused Narcissa to make the huge leap towards Oregon as an effort to convert the Indians to Christianity. We’ll discuss important points in her life, covering actual content from her original letters often sent to her family still living in New York. And finally, we’ll go over the mystery of the Whitman Massacre and learn why the Indians decided to murder the peaceful missionaries.

Prepare for an amazing journey alongside one of America’s most inspiring women, Narcissa Whitman, as she travels across the great unknown to help the Indians and pioneers heading towards a new future!

Locations Mentioned:

Whitman Missionary Location: Walla Walla, Washington
“Waiilatpu” means “place of the rye grass,” which refers to Walla Walla.

Part 1:

1. The Family Heritage and Ancestors
2. Childhood Memories
3. “Burned Over District”
4. Meeting Marcus Whitman
5. A Missionary’s Bride
6. Review
7. Preparing to Leave
8. Happy Sightseeing
9. Arriving in Washington
10. Washington’s Child
11. Building the Whitman Mission
12. Review

Test: Narcissa Whitman’s Youth

Part 2:

1. Meeting the Indians
2. Losing “Joy and peace”
3. Shutting Out Neighbors
4. Schoolteacher for Orphans
5. Marcus’s Change of Heart
6. Going to Church
7. Suspicious Native Americans
8. Measles Outbreak
9. Whitman Massacre
10. Whitman National State Park