Historical1859
Oregon Admitted as 33rd State
Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state. Oregon's original state constitution was notable for both prohibiting slavery and including exclusion laws that barred African Americans from residing in the state, reflecting the complex and contradictory racial attitudes of the era.
Why It Matters
Oregon's statehood illustrated the uncomfortable reality that opposition to slavery did not always equate to support for racial equality, a contradiction that would take generations of civic progress to address.