The Negotiation of Class, Rank and Authority within U. S. Army Commissioned Officers: Examples from Fort Yamhill and Fort Hoskins, Oregon, 1856-1866.

Summary

As part of the Federal policy toward colonizing the West Fort Yamhill and Fort Hoskins, 1856-1866, were established to guard the Oregon Coast Reservation and served as post-graduate schools for several officers who became high ranking generals during the American Civil War.  During their service these men, often affluent and well educated, held the highest social, economic and military ranks at these frontier military posts.  This paper examines the material culture excavated from six of the commissioned officer’s houses at these posts.  These archaeological assemblages vary in terms of artifact quality, quantity and variety that correlate with differences in military rank and suggests that although these officers were united by notions of class, status and authority they were competitive individuals that were interested in displaying, affirming and advancing their individual military, social and economic position within the military hierarchy through conspicuous consumption and other ritualized behaviors.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Disrupted Identities: Colonialism, Personhood, and Frontier Forts   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 147