John Beeson

Who was John Beeson?

John Beeson was an abolitionist and early Native American advocate. He authored A Plea for the Indians in 1857.

Beeson was born in Nottinghamshire, England on September 18, 1803. He emigrated to the United States in 1832 settling in Illinois. His farm was a station on the Underground Railroad. In 1853 he walked to southern Oregon with his wife and son, settling in Talent.

During the "Indian War" in the Rogue Valley of 1856 Beeson was an outspoken advocate for the Indians, and against the slaughter and atrocities committed by the settlers. The result was that he had to flee for his life on May 23, 1856. Beeson did not return to Oregon for nearly a decade.

During these years, he published "Plea" and traveled extensively throughout the eastern United States giving lectures advocating Indian rights.