Oregon, from Flags of the States and Territories (N11) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1888

Allen & Ginter's "Oregon, from Flags of the States and Territories" is a small chromolithograph trading card, once included in packs of cigarettes. These cards circulated during a period of intense territorial expansion and nation-building in the United States. While seemingly a patriotic gesture, the image of Oregon's flag cannot be separated from the history of westward expansion and its impact on Indigenous populations. We see symbols of statehood – an eagle, a mountain, and white settlers. In sharp contrast, these symbols actively exclude the presence and history of the Indigenous communities, who had called this land home for millennia. The romantic depiction of Oregon's landscape serves to normalize the erasure and displacement of these communities. Consider this card as more than just a symbol of state pride. It’s a complicated reminder of whose stories get told, and whose are left out.