Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, c. 1900 (Block Format Quilts)
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Fifty-Four Forty or Fight, c. 1900Maker: Jesse and Ruth Brockway Made shor tly before 1900 this pattern features an eyecatching light star sur rounded by darker shaded stars. The bright orange setting strips invite each star to stand alone. Sisters Jesse and Ruth used wool and heavy cotton clothing scraps to piece this g raphic work of art. Women named and used patterns to express their political views. T his pattern represents the turmoil between Britain and the United States over the Oregon Territor y boundary, now the northern boundary of Washington State. An 1846 treaty settled on the 49th parallel precisely established by a survey in 1860. |