1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic facts for kids

The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic was a serious smallpox outbreak. It began in Victoria on Vancouver Island. The disease quickly spread among the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. It also reached Indigenous groups in the Northwest Plateau.

This epidemic caused many deaths from the Puget Sound region up to Southeast Alaska. About two-thirds of Indigenous people in British Columbia died. This was around 20,000 people. The death rate was very high in southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii. Over 70% of the Haida died, and 60% of the Tlingit. Many Indigenous nations lost more than half their people. In some areas, up to 90% of the Indigenous population died. The disease was controlled among settlers in 1862. However, it continued to spread among Indigenous peoples through 1863.

Colonial leaders used quarantine and smallpox vaccine to protect settlers. But they largely allowed the disease to spread among Indigenous peoples. The Colony of Vancouver Island tried to help some Indigenous people. Yet, most were forced to leave Victoria and return home. This happened even though leaders knew it could cause a huge epidemic. Many settlers and newspapers supported this removal. The situation in the Puget Sound region was similar. Newspapers told settlers to get vaccinated. But little was done to protect Indigenous people. Most papers supported removing Indigenous people.

Some historians say this was a deliberate genocide. They believe the colonies could have stopped the epidemic. Instead, they chose not to, and sometimes even helped it spread. Historian Kiran van Rijn noted that leaders acted out of self-interest. They also felt pity, disgust, and a sense of inevitability. Some Victoria residents saw the removal of Indigenous people as a chance to get rid of them. It was also a way to take over their lands. Some Indigenous people believed the epidemic was spread on purpose to steal their land.

Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest had faced smallpox before. Outbreaks happened about once every generation. These earlier epidemics were in the late 1770s, 1801-03, 1836-38, and 1853. These past outbreaks are not as well recorded in history.

How Smallpox Arrived and Spread

Smallpox came to Victoria on the ship Brother Jonathan. This ship carried 350 passengers from San Francisco. Victoria's population at the time was about 4,000 settlers. There were also slightly more Indigenous people camped nearby. These camps were large and semi-permanent. The biggest was the "Northern Encampment." It had been there since the 1858 gold rush. It was home to northern coastal Indigenous peoples. These included Tsimshian, Haida, Tlingit, Heiltsuk, and Kwakwakaʼwakw. There were also Songhees villages and other local Indigenous groups. These included Halkomelem and Wakashan speakers, like the Sto:lo and Nuu-chah-nulth.

The Brother Jonathan arrived in Victoria on March 12, 1862. The ship left the next day. On March 18, The Daily British Colonist reported one passenger had smallpox. A second case was reported on March 19. By March 22, this second person was in the Lower Mainland at New Westminster. They had traveled across the Strait of Georgia on the Otter. On March 24, another ship from San Francisco, the Oregon, arrived. It had at least one passenger infected with smallpox. California was dealing with smallpox then. But vaccines and other steps had kept deaths low there.

Smallpox Spreads Northward

Starting in May 1862, thousands of infected Indigenous people were forced to leave Victoria. They had to return to their homes in the north. This included areas all along the coast, from Nanaimo to the Stikine River in southeast Alaska. Unlike the Salish Sea area, the northern coast had little past exposure to smallpox. They also had no vaccines. As the disease spread, Indigenous peoples suffered terrible losses. There are no direct accounts of the epidemic's early stages in the north. By mid-June, Victoria newspapers began getting reports of the high death toll. The Pentlatch, Eeksen, and Qualicom peoples were greatly reduced. They merged with the K'ómoks (Comox). Some Shishalh people had been vaccinated. But the nation as a whole was devastated.

Many Kwakwakaʼwakw lived near Fort Rupert on northern Vancouver Island. Over the summer of 1862, ships reported many deaths. The disease cut the Kwakwakaʼwakw population by over 50%. There were also sad reports about the Heiltsuk people near Bella Bella. On July 18, 1862, the Daily British Colonist reported that smallpox had killed about 60% of the Heiltsuk people. Robert Boyd estimates the Heiltsuk population fell by about 72%. Many villages were left empty. Survivors moved to the main settlement at Bella Bella. Large parts of traditional Heiltsuk land were abandoned. By 1899, the Heiltsuk population was only 319. Almost all lived at Bella Bella. The Nuxalk people were also greatly affected. They lost about 58% of their population. They also abandoned villages and regions, moving to Bella Coola.

The Haida people suffered the most from the smallpox epidemic. Haida Gwaii saw many villages abandoned and people moving together. No records from that time describe what happened when the first infected Haida returned. But later reports suggest smallpox spread among Haida villages for over a year. It killed about 72% of the Haida people. Many historic Haida villages were abandoned after the epidemic. These included Ninstints, Kloo, Skedans, Cumshewa, Dadens, Haina, Hiellen, Kung, and "Old" Kasaan. Survivors moved to four main settlements: Skidegate, Masset, Hydaburg, and "New" Kasaan.

Tsimshian people forced from Victoria brought smallpox to Fort Simpson. From there, it spread widely starting in June 1862. By early July, the Indigenous settlement outside the fort was empty. People had died or fled the area. The Tsimshian settlement at Metlakatla had just been started by missionary William Duncan. He wanted it to be a perfect Christian community. Duncan was able to quarantine Metlakatla. He did not let in Indigenous people who showed signs of smallpox. His efforts mostly saved Metlakatla from the disease. Duncan also used the epidemic to spread his religious message. He said God sent the epidemic to punish the Tsimshian for their sins. He claimed those who changed their ways and were baptized would be saved. Duncan also recorded news about the disease spreading up the Skeena River. This happened as refugees sought to enter Metlakatla.

Tlingits forced from Victoria brought smallpox to the Stikine River area. Some refugees were escorted by the gunboat HMS Topaz all the way from Victoria to Alaska. No records exist about the situation in the Stikine area during July and August. This was likely when the epidemic was at its worst. In early September, HMS Devastation visited the area. It noted major population loss and the ongoing spread of smallpox. The epidemic spread north into the Alexander Archipelago. But it was limited by a large Russian vaccination program. Some Tlingit groups were not part of the Russian program. These groups were greatly affected by the disease. This was especially true for the Henya Tlingit of northern Prince of Wales island. The Mainland Tlingit lost about 60% of their population. The Island Tlingit lost about 37%.

Other Indigenous peoples who lost many people include the Saanich (about 72%), Nisga'a (about 37%), Gitxsan (about 22%). Also, the Sabassas or Kitkatla Tsimshian (about 67%), Wuikinuxv (Oweekeno), and interior nations like the Nlaka'pamux, Stʼatʼimc, Dakelh, Tsilhqotʼin, and Secwepemc.

What Happened After

Before the 1862–1863 epidemic, colonial leaders gained Indigenous land through treaties. Governor James Douglas had signed 14 land treaties on Vancouver Island. These are known as the Douglas Treaties. In 1864, after the epidemic, the colony's Chief Commissioner of Land and Works Joseph Trutch decided to stop recognizing Indigenous land rights. He also stopped the treaty process. This set a new rule for British Columbia. It meant taking Indigenous land by force, not by agreement.

The large number of deaths also caused many Indigenous villages to be abandoned. People moved together into fewer settlements. There was also a loss of culture. Conflict and hostility with settlers increased. In Haida Gwaii, after the 1862 epidemic, over nineteen villages became just four by the early 1900s.

The Tsilhqotʼin people fought back when a road was built through their land without permission. This led to the Chilcotin War. One of the road builders threatened the Tsilhqotʼin with smallpox. The war ended with six Tsilhqotʼin chiefs being hanged. In 2014, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark officially cleared the names of the executed chiefs. She apologized for these actions. She said there was "an indication [that smallpox] was spread intentionally."

See also

In Spanish: Epidemia de viruela en la región Noroeste del Pacífico de 1862 para niños