History
editThe Washington State Legislature traces its ancestry to the creation of the Washington Territory in 1853, following successful arguments from settlers north of the Columbia River to the U.S. federal government to legally separate from the Oregon Territory.Brazier, Don (2000). History of the Washington State Legislature 1854-1963 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Senate. p. 2. Retrieved 4 January 2015. The petition for creation of the new territory was immediately dispatched to Washington, D.C.... Washington territory was created in 1853. It was carved out of the Oregon territory and consisted originally of all of what is now Washington and part of Idaho and Montana
The Washington Territorial Assembly, as the newly created area's bicameral legislature, convened the following year.Brazier, Don (2000). History of the Washington State Legislature 1854-1963 (PDF) (Report). Washington State Senate. p. 2. Retrieved 4 January 2015. Stevens proclaimed January 30, 1854, as the date for election of the first legislative assembly
The legislature represented settlers from the Strait of Juan de Fuca to modern Montana.