William A. Slacum facts for kids

William A. Slacum (born 1799, died 1839) was an American sailor and a special government agent. He worked for the United States Navy as a purser, which meant he managed money and supplies. Later, the President of the United States sent him on an important mission. His job was to collect information about the Oregon Country. This area was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain back then. Before this, Slacum also worked as a diplomat in Mexico.

Early Life and Naval Career

William Slacum was probably born and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. He had a sister named Mary Louisa and a brother named George Washington. His brother also worked for the government in the State Department.

On June 8, 1829, William Slacum joined the United States Navy. In 1831, he served as a purser on the ship USS Potomac. This ship sailed all around the world for four years.

From 1835 to 1836, Slacum worked in Mexico. He was a special agent for the United States government. During this time, he wrote a letter to President Andrew Jackson. He praised the land of California, which was then part of Mexico. This letter helped President Jackson become interested in getting California for the U.S.

Mission to Oregon Country

In 1835, President Jackson chose Lieutenant Slacum for a special trip. He was to travel to the Oregon Country. His mission was to gather information about the people living there. He also needed to learn about the future possibilities for white settlers.

Slacum began his journey on June 1, 1836. He sailed from Guaymas, Mexico, to the Sandwich Islands. He arrived there on November 5, 1836. From there, he rented a ship called the Loriot. He sailed towards the Columbia River on November 24. The Loriot reached the Columbia River on December 22, 1836.

Exploring the Region

Once in Oregon, Slacum met with important people. He interviewed officials from the Hudson's Bay Company. These included Dr. John McLoughlin and James Douglas at Fort Vancouver.

After that, he spent four days on French Prairie. He met with the missionary Jason Lee. Together, they looked at the settlements there. Slacum even helped a pioneer named Ewing Young. He convinced Young to stop building a distillery. Instead, Young traveled to California to buy cattle. These cattle were then brought back to Oregon.

After gathering a lot of information, Lieutenant Slacum got ready to leave. On February 10, 1837, he left the Columbia River. He sailed for California. By February 19, the Loriot arrived at Fort Ross in California. Some settlers were also on board. Here, the settlers and Slacum went their separate ways.

Helping Settlers with Cattle

While in the Willamette Valley, Slacum saw something important. The pioneers there depended a lot on the Hudson's Bay Company. This was especially true for cattle. The company only leased cattle to the settlers. Any baby calves born belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company.

So, Lieutenant Slacum offered to help. He offered to take any settlers to California to buy their own cattle. He even gave $500 to help start this important project. This effort later led to the creation of the Willamette Cattle Company.

Report to Congress

After returning to the United States, William Slacum wrote a detailed report. It was about all the information he gathered on the Northwest Coast.

His report was read in the U.S. Congress on December 18, 1837. In it, Slacum described the activities in the region. He strongly suggested that the United States should take control of this area. He believed the border should be no further south than the 49th parallel.

Among his ideas, he recommended digging a channel. This channel would go through Cape Disappointment. This would make it easier to get into the Columbia River. It would also help avoid the dangerous sandbar at the river's mouth.

William Slacum died on November 1, 1839.