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On this day in 1851 John B. Chapman, the Fourth of July orator at Olympia, Washington, gave a fiery speech at a convention held at Cowlitz Landing. Chapman touched the spark that ignited the movement to divide Washington from the Oregon Territory. In 1853 Washington gained territorial status when President Fillmore signed the bill on March 2nd. The state's name was originally set to be "Columbia", but the House changed it to Washington. The Senate attempted an amendment to the bill that would have named the territory "Washingtonia" to avoid confusion with Washington, D.C. in the mails, but this failed as well.
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