Battle of Seattle

Part of the Puget Sound War, an armed conflict over land rights, started because of the poor terms of the Medicine Creek Treaty. Five days before the attack on Seattle, Governor Stevens had declared a "war of extermination" upon the Indians. On this day, a coalition of tribes attacked the small town of Seattle. Possibly involved on the Native side were Klickitat, Spokane, Palouse, Walla Walla, Yakama, Kamialk, Nisqually, and Puyallup. Most of the settlers hid in a blockhouse or on ships anchored in Elliot Bay including U.S. Navy Sloop of War Decatur. Puget Sound War was a military defeat for the Native combatants however it was a strategic win, as both Nisqually and Puyallup reservations were made much larger.