Bicentennial Story #1-Somer's Speech 1861

Title

Bicentennial Story #1-Somer's Speech 1861

Description

Account of Jim Somer's speech to the Dakota territory legislature in 1861 about legalizing marriages between white men and Native Americans.

Date

5/1/1975
12/19/1975

Contributor

Father Louis Pfaller
Jack Hjort

Rights

This recording cannot be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center. This recording may be freely used for education uses, so long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this recording file is permitted without written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center.

Format

mp3

Medium

audio reel, analog, 1/4 inch polyester tape

Language

English

Identifier

BS-001

Spatial Coverage

Dakota Territory

Rights Holder

Copyright Stark County Historical Society and Dickinson Museum Center

Transcription

Dakota Territory in 1861 had less than one settler for every 100 square miles! At the first legislature tough Jim Somers had a solution. Another legislator recalled the only speech Somers made: "It was short, but full of of fire and threats of vengeance against all who would dare to vote against his bill legalizing marriages between white men and squaws. Jim and his cannon were both loaded that morning, when he arose with blood in his eye, and swore that he would blow out all the brains of the assembled law-makers if they killed his bill. He declared that what Dakota needed was less brains and more children, and he struck his fist on the desk and moved that the legislature adjourn and take Indian wives and go out populating the country."

This is Bicentennial Story No. 1, prepared by Father Louis Pfaller, for the Stark County Historical Society.

Nelson, Land of the Dakota's 118

Original Format

Sound recordings

Duration

1:11

Bit Rate/Frequency

128kbps

Decade

1970 1979

Physical Location

Bicentennial tape #1, Bicentennial stories 1-22

Comments

Allowed tags: <p>, <a>, <em>, <strong>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>

Citation

“Bicentennial Story #1-Somer's Speech 1861,” Southwestern North Dakota Digital Archive At the Dickinson Museum Center, accessed March 29, 2024, https://dmc.omeka.net/items/show/390.