Zooming Back to History: An Online History Speaker Series
A New Look at Jason Lee with Dr. Jennifer Jopp
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 | 7:00 PM
Via Zoom – Donations appreciated
We are accustomed to think of Jason Lee as solitary figure, one fueled by the desire to convert the indigenous peoples to Christianity. Yet, his arrival in the territory cannot be understood outside the relationships with indigenous peoples in the area, the colonial conflict with Great Britain for supremacy in the region, the conflict with other religious denominations in the area, and the conflict with others over access to land.
Lee, sent by the Methodists to the territory, was instrumental in the construction of a Manual Labor Training School for indigenous youth. When that project failed, the newly-imagined school for the children of the white missionaries took over the building.
This lecture re-examines the life of Lee and seeks, by placing Lee into this broader colonial context, to understand how we have come to see Lee- who largely failed at his ventures and was recalled in disgrace-as we do. It seeks, too, to understand what aspects of our history we elide when we focus on the life of one white man.
Starting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night (see the dates below), each speaker will talk about their topic for approximately 30 minutes at which point we will ask participants to submit questions regarding the topic.
More information and payment links – $10/speaker or $30/series. The link and password for each speaker will be sent to you via email.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Jennifer Jopp is a Senior Lecturer in History at Willamette University, where she has taught for 30 years. Her work on Jason Lee is part of a research project undertaken with a colleague and four students on the early history of Willamette. She teaches courses in early American and colonial Latin American history, as well as American Legal History.
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This series, a fundraiser for the Willamette Heritage Center, is brought to you by our generous sponsors, ATRIO Health Care, Becky & Jim Sterup, and Dorald Stoltz. This public online gathering seeks to share historical perspectives of topics related to the Mid-Willamette Valley and beyond.
Dave in Salem 