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Ophelia Paquet Research Paper

488 Words2 Pages

Ophelia Paquet is a woman who pushed society and the government to recognize her and her marriage by awarding her ownership of property that she lived on for 30 years with her husband. When Ophilia’s husband died without a will, she was awarded owner until her brother-in-law, John contested it. The issue that arose was the race of Ophelia, Fred and John. Fred a white man, married Ophelia, a Tillamook Indian wife. “Miscegenation law kept property within racial boundaries by invalidating marriages between white men and women of color whenever ancillary white relatives like John Paquet contested them.” Ophelia no longer had any right to the property as her marriage was invalidated and categorized as “illicit sex.” The goal of the miscegenation laws was to keep property within the white race. Regardless of Ophelia being with Fred for 30-years she was not entitled to anything. Furthermore “The couple had used Ophelia’s earnings, combined with her proceeds from government payments to Tillamook tribal members, both to purchase the property and to pay the yearly taxes on it.” This fact was not leveraged in her argument by her lawyers to the Oregon Supreme Court to keep what she purchased. Despite her marriage being invalidated the courts and the lawyers still saw her contribution as Fred’s, a white man. Ophelia was economically dependent on her husband and then on the government when they gave the property to her brother in law. John received the property simply due …show more content…

Fred a white man, married Ophelia, a Tillamook Indian wife. “The couple had used Ophelia’s earnings, combined with her proceeds from government payments to Tillamook tribal members, both to purchase the property and to pay the yearly taxes on

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